


OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: ONI AND HANNYA - HANZO x READER

by Joseikage



Series: OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: OVERWATCH [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joseikage/pseuds/Joseikage
Summary: If you haven't read the OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: HEROES IN THE SHADOW (OVERWATCH INTRO), I suggest you go there first because... story lol you'll be super confused, if not. :PAs you are still accused of being a spy for Talon, everything weighs heavily on you and you struggle to find a safe haven. You find a secret place where you can be yourself without being judged, but unbeknownst to you, it was Hanzo Shimada who had discovered it first. You strike a deal with the aggressive-looking assassin, and you both agree to train together there and let no one else know where the haven is. As you train together and get to know one another, will Hanzo be able to ease the burden you bear, or make it all the more heavy?
Relationships: Hanzo Shimada/Reader
Series: OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: OVERWATCH [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859791
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Overwatch owns Blizzard, but I own this story! ^_^ Hope you enjoy! :)  
> As always, I hope this is a nice little distraction from the world around us right now. Stay safe out there! ^_^ <3

“Actually,” I called out, making Genji stop in his tracks, “I think I’d like to explore more of this base and get a good feel for it. Maybe, I’ll get some fresh air while I’m at it, you know?”

Both Genji and McCree nodded at each other and shrugged as if thinking it was an alright idea.

“Hmph, well at least you’ll be outta my hair! Glad I don’t have to worry about you fallin’ in love with me after kissin’ me like you did,” McCree said with a devilish grin on his face.

“Hey! I saved your damn life, Cowboy! You owe me one,” I bit back, scowling at him. He let out a low chuckle and crossed his arms.

“What? The kiss wasn’t enough for you?”

“I’d say it was pretty one-sided, if you ask me. I don’t think I got anything out of it... Oh, except for an annoying cowboy, brought back from the dead to haunt me. Really wasn’t a good deal for me!”

Genji laughed loudly and pointed out, “Hey McCree, I think you were right, after all. She must be a Talon assassin. She just slayed you with that comeback!”

I was joking along with them until Genji said that.

 _Talon... assassin... so I’m still under suspicion..._ I thought sadly.

McCree crossed his arms and put on a mock look of hurt.

“I’m deadass wounded over here, (y/n),” he joked, smirking wildly.

I turned and walked out of the room without another word, first walking briskly down the hallway, but then running as fast as I could. I went downstairs, where there was a huge hangar, and I stepped out onto the landing strip and into the sun, closing my eyes and letting it wash over me.

 _There has to be somewhere I can go where I can feel safe and be by myself..._ I pondered, looking out over the water. As I gazed at the horizon and breathed the calm sea air, I spotted a seagull nearby and watched it, sitting down lazily.

It flew around in my area for a short while before swooping down and flying over to an area in the wall of the cliff and seemingly going through it.

_Wait what?! It went through the cliff face? No... that can’t be..._

I stared after it and a few minutes later, it reappeared, coming out of that same spot. I looked around at the cliff wall and decided that I would be able to climb it. There were plenty of footholds and places to stop and rest along the way, and I was driven by the need to get away. I took a deep breath to steel myself before I began scaling the rock wall.

My hands started to get weak about halfway there, so I took a break, finding purchase in the rocks with my feet. Then, I kept going and when I arrived at the place where the Seagull had disappeared, I found a small cave. I walked inside and was surprised to find that it wasn’t completely dark but lit up by a scattered group of stones that glowed in the dark. 

Not only that, but the floor of the cave was a strange mixture of sand and rock, and wherever I stepped, there was a bright blue glow left it its wake. There was also a small lake slightly further in that shone with the same amazing bright blue colour.

I walked closer to it in awe, gaping wildly as I neared the surface of it. I looked into the lake and grinned in awe as I realised exactly what caused the phenomenon. I had seen just enough Nat Geo to recognise it.

 _Bioluminescent Algae!_ I cheered internally, realising that this would be the perfect place to practice and take time for myself. I took my shoes off and put them in the corner of the cave, laughing joyously at the bright blueish-white colours my footprints made as I ran around. Then, I began to practice the skills that Genji taught me, taking my time and trying to ensure I got each movement down precisely before I sped them up.

When I had finished practicing, I dipped a foot in the water and discovered that it was cool, but not freezing. I smiled and took off my clothing, placing it in the corner with my shoes before going for a swim in the lake. It got pretty deep a few feet in, but I could still touch the bottom of it when I swam down. It was probably about ten feet deep. 

I swam across it and found another part of the cave, but it was a much smaller area where there was nothing to see. For a while, I lay on my back and stared up at the gemstone-filled ceiling as I floated lazily. Then, I began doing Kung Fu in the water, smiling as the glowing blue light followed my movements.

I twisted around and threw a kick before whirling around and following it up with a Tiger Palm. Then, I splashed the water up in a wave, did a leg sweep, and lashed out with both hands. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that someone was inside the cave, watching my every move. 

I kept my cool, pretending like I hadn’t noticed them sitting upon the nearby rock in the corner and kept doing my forms, slowly but steadily getting closer to them. Then, I finally turned around, grabbed them, and threw them into the water with me, dragging them deeper into it before hurriedly swimming back to shore.

The person growled in frustration, floundering just above the water, before struggling back to the edge, grabbing it and pulling themself up. I didn’t get a good look at them, or see their face, but I could see their outline; a strong, sleek, muscular man. I hid my body behind a nearby rock.

“Who are you,” I demanded, “and why are you watching me like a pervert?” There was no answer. I quickly got my clothing back on and rushed out of the cave, scaling the wall more expertly than before and rushing back inside the hangar. Then, I headed back inside and rushed up towards the sleeping quarters.

_Whoever was watching me will have to come up here and change their clothing, since I got it wet, and I can wait all night for them, if needs be._

As I sat at the end of the hallway, I pondered who the mystery person could be.

_All I can think of would be Genji or Hanzo who fit that description. McCree... maybe, but he’s still recovering. There’s no way he would be out here! Oh, what about Lucio?! It could have been him... but I think he knows how to swim, I’m pretty sure of that. This person had a lot of trouble..._

Suddenly, Hanzo came around the corner, his clothes clinging against his body and his hair flat and wet.

 _Gotcha..._ I grinned wildly, walked over to his door, and knocked on it.

“Just a moment,” he called back. As he opened the door, I saw his body stiffen for a moment before he relaxed. He was now wearing a black, long-sleeved undershirt and a pair of cargo pants. “Can I help you with something, (y/n)?”

“Yes, I believe you can. I just wanted to speak with you about what happened down in the cave,” I declared, smiling slyly at him.

“I do not know what you are talking about,” Hanzo lied.

“Oh? Are you sure?” I pressed.

“Yes, I am.” He went to close the door, but I put my foot in it.

“Hm, well... I guess I’ll have to make an announcement about the cave I found and warn people about the madman who goes down there to watch women skinny dip. I’m sure most of the people here don’t know about the cave. It does make a nice, quiet place to train. It would be a shame if there was suddenly a lot more traffic there...”

As I turned to walk away, the door swung back open and Hanzo grabbed me roughly, pulling me inside his room before slamming the door closed and thrusting me against it.

“What do you want?” he snarled; his cold, dark-brown eyes glaring at me. His goatee glowed with small flecks of blue as his face shifted. I couldn’t help the giggle that came out of my mouth. “What is it?!”

“Y-you have algae in your beard!” I cried out, pointing at his goatee and trying to stop laughing. A growl escaped his throat and he ran his hand through his beard, letting go of me as he walked into the bathroom.

When he returned, he was scowling impatiently at me; his arms crossed.

“Speak quickly. What do you want?” he demanded.

“I want to know why you were watching me as I swam naked in the lake,” I told him, matching his scowl and his cross-armed stance of dominance.

“That cave is my secret training ground. I was unaware that anyone else was in there, so I began training until I heard you splashing about! I snuck around the rocks to see who it was and watched you practice your Kung Fu in the water. It was... surprisingly graceful considering how clumsy and disoriented most civilians are,” he explained.

“Ah, so... you were watching for a good while then?” I suggested. He turned away from me, seemingly with regret, and I gaped, my mouth widening into a huge smile. “Oh my god! You totally saw me naked and watched me for a while!”

Hanzo stiffened, his eyes widening as his teeth gritted.

“Oh, and on that note, I noticed you had a little bit of trouble swimming,” I continued, teasing him.

Hanzo groaned and turned away from me, bowing his head. 

“I am sorry for watching you... Please do not tell anyone else about the caves, as it is the only place I have where I can be alone,” he admitted quietly.

“Actually, I was wondering if I could keep training there as well. I-I was looking for a place where I could be alone when I found that cave... It really is quite magical,” I admitted. “And it’s the one place where no one accuses me of being a Talon spy or assassin...”

Sadness welled up within me and tears stung my eyes as everything began to hit me all at once. I was far from home and I was being accused of being a horrible person, both by the media and Overwatch. Three attempts had been made on my life within the week, and there was no telling what the future held for me now. I choked back sobs, and Hanzo didn’t say a word.

“Never mind, the cave is yours,” I declared in a raspy voice before I darted out of Hanzo’s room and into my own. I fell onto my bed and clutched the blankets, wrapping them around me as I sobbed anxiously. The undecorated, unfamiliar walls of my metal room only served to worsen my mood.

I didn’t realise I had fallen asleep until I got a knock at the door. I sighed, pressed a hand against my head, and wrapped myself in my blanket.

“Come in,” I called out, wiping the crust of leftover tears out of my eyes. To my surprise, Hanzo Shimada walked in with a tray of food. He looked around the room and then sighed deeply. Luna jumped up on the bed protectively as Hanzo neared, and to my surprise, she fluffed up her fur threateningly and hissed. 

“Ah, Luna! What’s wrong? It’s just Hanzo!” I cried, trying to settle the cat down. Hanzo stared at the big, black cat with intrigue and then carefully put the tray down.

He showed her the back of his hand, smiled gently with his lips, and murmured, “落ち着いて。 _Calm down._ ”

Luna sniffed his hand before trailing up his arm where his dragon tattoo was. Then, her fur flattened and she immediately curled up beside me and began grooming herself.

“Wow, she’s never done that before...” I admitted, suddenly worried about her attacking people.

“Yes, I just tend to have that effect on most animals,” Hanzo said in an almost regretful tone of voice. Then he cleared his throat. “I did not see you at dinner tonight. Why?”

“Does it matter?” I bit back, turning my head away from him.

“May I?” Hanzo asked. I turned to see him pointing to my bed. I immediately blushed and turned away again thinking about how inappropriate it was for him to be there, but then realised I had no other furniture.

“Go ahead.”

He sat cross-legged in the bed and leaned back against the headboard, making himself comfortable, then he handed me a tray of food. I stared at him in awe as I slowly took it from him, wondering why he would go out of his way for me when he previously seemed to want nothing to do with me.

“Thank you...”

He let out grunt of acknowledgement before adding, “You are very brave to confront a Shimada assassin and accuse him of voyeurism.”

“Was it voyeurism?” I bit back jokingly, spearing a piece of pork chop and tossing it into my mouth. Hanzo lowered his head, scowling at the sheets on the bed.

“Not... quite, but I suppose it was rude to stare and for that, I apologise.” I chuckled aloud, unable to help myself. “What?!” he yowled impatiently, now glaring at me.

“Almost every word you say is like a snarl or growl. Even when you apologise, it’s almost as if you’re...” I paused, looking for the right word, “kind of... throwing it in people’s faces?” He cocked his head and a look of confusion appeared on his face before he sighed and shook it, closing his eyes.

“I have... never been good with people, unless you count spearing them through the head or heart with an arrow. The only three people who seem to see through me are that cowboy, Genji, and you.”  
They way he indicated me was almost spat as if it was frustrating to him. I smiled thoughtfully and continued eating my food. Finally, he spoke up again.

“I... Seeing you practice in the cave, I realised that you have potential. However, the way you practice is chaotic and tactless. You need a teacher. If you would like, I could teach you and we could both utilise the cave. I know you use it to escape the confines of Overwatch and need it as much as I do,” he offered.

I thought about it for a moment and then smiled at him brightly.

“I can do you one better! I noticed that you had some trouble swimming, but you seemed to really enjoy watching me swim in that lake, so... how about this? Everyday, we will go train in the cave, just the two of us. You teach me how to be strong and fight, and I will teach you how to swim like a...” I eyed the gorgeous dragon tattoo on his arm, “water dragon.”

Hanzo’s eyes seemed to light up as they widened slightly and he smiled determinedly and nodded, extending his hand and shaking my own.

“Deal.”

The next morning, Hanzo woke me up before sunrise and we journeyed to the cave. Still not fully awake, I put my foot on a bad foothold and slipped off. Hanzo reached down and grabbed me with lightning-fast reflexes before I fell, pulling me close to him so I could get my bearings and regain a good hold on the rocks.

I stared into his eyes and panted heavily in shock as I struggled to regain my bearings. He raised an eyebrow at me in confusion and sneered.

“Be more careful!” he yowled before continuing on. I panted heavily When we got to the mouth of the cave, Hanzo instructed me to begin meditating. 

He sat down in seiza with his knees tucked beneath him and his back straight. Then, his eyes fluttered closed and he cupped his hands together just above his lap, his hands making an oval where his thumbs were disconnected with the tiniest bit of space in between them.

I stared at him in awe at how still and quiet he was. He truly looked to be at peace as he breathed slowly and steadily. I went to wave a hand in front of his face, and he snatched it out of the air.

“When you meditate, your eyes are not fully closed. They are open just barely, so that you do not have to blink but can still see your surroundings. Now focus and do as I do. I know you meditated with my brother the other day. Hopefully he taught you the right way.”

I swallowed hard. Genji hadn’t corrected my meditation form at all. Maybe it was because he didn’t quite take me seriously as Hanzo was. 

I stared at Hanzo for a moment longer, still in awe at how peaceful he appeared, and after a stern, “What are you waiting for, the cherry blossoms to bloom?” I quickly sat up and meditated. Through my eyelids, I watched the sun rise over the horizon and smiled at how beautiful it was. 

Hanzo, who had finished meditating, caught me smiling and declared, “You are too easily distracted and your form and posture, as well as the tempo of your breathing are poor. We will have to work on that. It is time to train our bodies now that we have focused on our mind and spirit.”

We began by practicing some basic stances. Hanzo corrected my horse-riding stance by kicking my legs apart with his own, widening them further. I groaned as I didn’t realise my legs would go that wide, but I kept in the position. 

We practiced for hours before Hanzo stopped and said, “Good work today. Shall we go for a swim?” He began to take off his clothing until a pair of black swim shorts were all that remained. I stared at his toned body. 

He wasn’t as muscular as McCree, but he had sleek, slender muscles that were made for speed and strength in fast-paced battles and tense situations. He folded his clothes up, let his hair down, and placed his hair tie atop them before walking out into the lake; the electric blue water rippling around him.

He noticed my hesitation and demanded, “What’s wrong? Do you not wish to swim?”

“I...” I turned my head away in embarrassment, “I don’t have a swimsuit,” I admitted. “Though... you have technically already seen me, so...”

“I have seen many men and women naked over the years. You are no different,” Hanzo declared, crossing his arms. Even so, he turned away respectfully and said, “If you do not feel comfortable however, I can order you a swimsuit tonight and have it brought to us by drone. We do not have to swim today.”

I sighed deeply and slowly began to take off my clothing, placing them next to Hanzo’s. I covered myself up with my arms, embarrassed by how I looked.

“Perhaps... I should bare myself as well to make it even...” Hanzo declared. Before I could protest, he had already taken off his swim trunks and thrown them towards his clothing. I took in a sharp breath, turning away as if this was some forbidden sin or some kind of test thrown at me by an unkind God somewhere.

“Don’t be such a child,” Hanzo said with a groan. Then, with a playful edge to his voice, he added, “Unless... you have a reason why you can’t bear to look at me...”

My cheeks reddened. I had been checking him out that entire time and now he was naked. I could hear his wet footsteps approaching me, as well as the smile on his face as he said my name teasingly.

“What are you thinking about right now, (y/n)?”

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to turn around and face him, taking my hair out of its ponytail and shaking it out with determination. He stopped in his tracks, only a few feet away from me, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

“I’m thinking about going for a swim,” I said with a smile as I tried to put on a tough front, though my cheeks were probably as red as the magma inside a volcano, and my heart, pounding like the rumbling one made before it erupted. I ran past Hanzo as fast as I could and dove into the water as I reached the drop-off point where the lake deepened.

I swam beneath the water for awhile until I could no longer hold my breath. When I resurfaced, Hanzo was staring at me intently, his elbows propped up against the edge of the drop-off with his torso, waist, and feet in the deeper part of the water. I swam up to him and leaned against the edge of the drop-off next to him, my body pressed against the side.

“Alright, face the side like this and hold on with your hands,” I told him. He quickly followed my directions and I continued. “Now, the first thing you must learn is that swimming isn’t a tense sport. It requires you to completely relax and trust both your body and the water. I’m going to teach you how to float first. Should you get into trouble and find yourself in a dangerous situation in the water where you are at risk of drowning, stop panicking and float. Watch me.”

I pushed off from the wall, leaned my arms backwards and smiled as I relaxed and took a deep breath in with my diaphragm, filling my belly with air, my body staying afloat. Then, I rose and swam back over to him.

“Sometimes, singing can help you maintain proper breath control, especially if you’re a bit afraid of the water. I’ll help you try to float by keeping my hands underneath your body, alright? If you start having trouble, do not panic. Let me know you need a break and I will get you back over to the shore,” I told him.

He nodded slowly, took a deep breath, and pushed off from the wall, immediately sinking beneath the water. He flailed slightly, but I quickly lifted him up.

“落ち着いてください。ここにいます。 _Please, calm down. I’m here,_ ” I murmured softly, running a hand through his hair to soothe him. He panted heavily for a moment before I told him to slow down his breathing.

“Floating in the water is actually a lot like meditation. You relax and give yourself to the water, as you would give yourself to the Earth while you’re on land in the same way. Now, straighten your back and take a deep breath.”

A short gasp of realisation came from Hanzo and he stretched out his body, taking a deep breath and holding it. At my command, he put his arms out and widened his legs, and when I was sure he was doing it properly, I let him go.

“Just breathe steadily. If you feel yourself begin in sink, you can shift your legs a bit and take another breath. When your stomach is expanded, you will rise. When it is deflated upon breathing out, you will sink.”

He maintained his floating position with his eyes closed, looking just as peaceful as he had before. My eyes washed over his strong body and I smiled at him brightly. Finally, I had him get up and helped him over to the side of the wall.

“Next, you will learn how to move with the water and let yourself use it to push you in different directions,” I declared.

“水のように流れ。 _Flow like water,_ ” Hanzo said with a smirk on his face.

“Exactly! Imagine that we didn’t walk in this world, but instead used the air to pull and push us around. It is that way when you swim. You use the water to propel you onwards. Cup your hands and push the water like this.”

I made several motions with my hands and arms and smiled as I watched Hanzo attempt to mimic them. He was stiff as though he was fighting the water, and I quickly put my arms around him and moved his hands for him.

“Relax. Do not fight against the water, or you’ll definitely drown. Move with it, alright? Like this.” I suddenly became aware that my body was flush against his as I instructed him and I quickly backed away from him, blushing fiercely and apologising.

Hanzo lifted his hands, staring at them for a moment before fluidly shifting them in the water and waving them around in the manner that I taught him, but then in a different sort of way. It was a smooth, graceful, dance-like motion.

“What are you doing?” I asked him softly. He turned and gazed at me, scrunching his eyes together before turning and walking out of the water. “Oh no, I didn’t mean you did anything wrong, I just wanted to know what that was! Actually, it looked very beautiful!”

“We have... done enough swimming lessons for today. Thank you for teaching me,” he said, ignoring my question completely. I stared at him in shock before walking over and getting dressed next to him. I couldn’t help the furtive glances I made at him now, as I was still curious about those graceful movements he was making.

Suddenly, he whirled around, balling his hands into fists, and in a biting tone of voice, he growled, “Now, who is being voyeuristic?” I gasped and then glared at him, our faces right in front of each other.

“I was not— Ooh! Never mind!” I growled, barging out of the cave as I got the rest of my clothing on. I scaled the wall angrily and headed back to the dining hall for lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

When I got to the dining hall, I discovered that Reinhardt had made turkey subs. He brought mine over, greeted me, and then went back into the kitchen to finish up.

I bit into my sub slowly and stared at it deep in thought, still pondering what Hanzo had been doing at the end of the swimming lesson. I hadn’t seen him come into the dining area for lunch yet, and I was slightly worried that I had upset him.

Suddenly, a light, “Yo,” interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see Genji sitting next to me.

 _That’s right! Hanzo and Genji are brothers! Maybe I can ask him what he was doing!_ A giant grin spread across my face and Genji narrowed his eyes in both confusion and suspicion.

“What is it?” he demanded.

“I was hoping you could help me with something but keep it a secret. I don’t want anyone to get embarrassed,” I admitted quietly. “It might be a touchy subject, too, but... it’s about Hanzo.”

Genji’s eyes widened ever so slightly and he crossed his arms.

“What about Hanzo?” he demanded in a harsher tone of voice.

“Well... we started training together, and I...” I stopped as I struggled with how to phrase what happened without giving away their secret training grounds. “I saw him doing this... motion with his hands and feet. I don’t remember what his feet looked like, but I remember his hands for the most part.”

“And you didn’t ask him because...?” Genji pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“I did, but he... deflected and wouldn’t answer me as though it was something sacred to him or even embarrassing. I just want to understand him better. He’s... not like most people I’ve met.”

Genji let out a thoughtful hum before nodding and murmuring, “Alright, let me see and I may be able to tell you.”

“Not here!” I objected, waving my hands wildly, “We’ll go to the training rooms after lunch. Sound good?” Genji nodded and we ate the rest of our lunch in silence.

When we finally walked into one of the training rooms, Genji said aloud, “Athena lock down this training room and turn off spectator mode.”

“Lockdown initiated,” Athena declared.

Genji turned back to face me.

“Alright show me.”

I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and replicated the motions as best as I could, not moving my feet. Genji’s eyes widened and he stopped me.

“Wait,” he said, “did it look like this?” He stood up straight for a moment before stepping out with his left foot and doing the same exact movements that Hanzo did, only with less of a fluid motion than his brother had.

“Y-yes, that’s it!” I exclaimed, smiling warmly.

Genji stopped and tilted his head downwards, smiling nostalgically at the ground while murmuring, “Wow, I can’t believe you got him to do that.” He focused his gaze back on me and sighed deeply. 

“That was Yang style Tai Chi. Our mother taught it to us when we were young. Hanzo, especially, loved it. Just before our mother passed away, our father insisted that she stop teaching Hanzo such frivolous things. When he caught Hanzo practicing it by himself in secret, he beat him.”

“After our mother passed away, Hanzo completely gave it up because of the pressure of our father to run the clan. He was forced to give every bit of pleasure away for the sake of duty. He must have felt comfortable with you to show you that.”

I stared thoughtfully at Genji before turning my gaze to the ground.

“Well what about now?” I inquired.

“What do you mean?” A look of confusion spread across his face.

“I mean... does he still have a duty that would prevent him from enjoying life?”

“Hanzo...” Genji shuffled and I could tell that he was trying to find the right words to say. “Hanzo is not the man I remember. His duty seems to be to himself, or rather... he seems to be consumed by guilt and pride. He knows he has done a lot of bad things, but he can’t bring himself to admit it.” 

“He has been on his own for awhile, travelling around and doing an assassin’s work. He is extremely blunt and honest and has no social tact. He speaks his mind, no matter the consequence. Even so, he is a good man at heart. He just doesn’t know how to express himself.”

“I think I understand now...” I told Genji, remembering how Hanzo treated me when I was hesitant about being naked around him. For him, that was completely normal, but for anyone else, it would’ve been embarrassing. And rather than speaking with me about his feelings, he avoided them.

“Thank you for enlightening me about him, Genji,” I told him, smiling warmly at him.

“We have a lot of time and I had planned on doing some training today anyways, so would you care to join me for some Tai Chi? I can teach you and maybe you can surprise him next time,” Genji offered. A bright smile played upon my lips and I took him up on his offer.

“Excellent! I will teach you the first eight forms, but it will depend on how fast you can learn. Perhaps, when you show Hanzo your eagerness to learn, he will show you more,” Genji suggested with a sly grin that made me blush.

We practiced for hours until dinnertime and Genji told me what a good job I did. We rounded the corner to start heading towards the dining hall when we noticed Hanzo leaning against the wall. His head turned towards us and he fixed us with a stern stare.

“Hello, Hanzo! Genji and I just finished training! Would you care to join us for dinner?” I offered.

Hanzo’s stern expression turned into a scowl as he demanded, “I wonder what else you two were doing in there. You had the training room on lockdown so no one would see...”

I began to say something when I was cut off by Genji, who shot back, “And I wonder where it is that you and (y/n) were training. It certainly wasn’t in the training rooms... How very secretive! It could be inferred that you were doing something... unscrupulous as well.”

I blushed and started to deny either accusation but stopped in shock as I witnessed Hanzo and Genji glaring at each other, coming closer so they were face to face.

To my surprise, Hanzo’s dragon tattoo began to shimmer with a bright blue glow that was more vibrant than even that of the bioluminescent algae. The presence of it was extremely threatening, and Genji’s suit began to flicker between a green and a red colour in response to it.

I gaped as I watched them glaring at each other, Genji narrowing his eyes with a grin on his face as if to antagonize his brother, while Hanzo was just plain angry.

 _I need to do something...!_ I thought to myself as Hanzo’s dragon tattoo glowed even brighter.

Without thinking, I stepped between the two of them, facing Hanzo first, and threw my arms around him in a big hug.

“Thank you so much for all the training you gave me today, Hanzo. I really appreciate it. You’re such a great teacher!” I praised him honestly, looking off to the side at his dragon tattoo to see the glow fading.

I smiled up at him warmly and he gaped at me in surprise before straightening up and clearing his throat.

“You are most welcome. You are a very good student,” he said stiffly, taking one step back from me.

I turned to Genji and thanked him as well, though I didn’t hug him as I did Hanzo.

“Try not to antagonize your brother,” I added, chiding him as I flicked him on the nose. 

“Come on! What is a younger brother for?” he bit back, rubbing the tip of his nose. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, taking Hanzo’s arm in mine.

“Let’s go eat, you two. It’s been a long day, and I’m sure we’re all hungry,” I declared, pulling Hanzo along with me.

He stared at me for a moment or two as we walked along and then pulled away from me, going ahead on his own.

He hadn’t scowled at me or anything, but the way he took his arm out of my grasp, along with the strangely domineering look in his eyes as he moved ahead of me, made me stop in my tracks. It felt as though I had the air knocked out of me.

That look he had given me as he walked by had screamed, _“You are not my equal, you are nothing.”_

My eyes began to water. Genji, who had noticed Hanzo’s slight, moved forward and grabbed me by the arm.

“Shall we?” he asked, smiling down at me. I cleared my throat and nodded slowly, staring after the proud archer as he walked down the hall by himself.

I ate quickly, not making eye contact with Hanzo as I did so, and then headed upstairs to the sleeping quarters. Before I went to sleep, I had a thought to get a bathing suit or something similar from Tracer since she always had those cool one-piece tracksuits. She gave me a waterproof one that was black, gold, and red with flowery designs on it and I thanked her and went to bed. 

The next morning, I woke up much earlier than I’d intended; much earlier than Hanzo. I carried a bag with the tracksuit and a towel in it and headed out to the cliff. I climbed it expertly and landed in the mouth of the cave. The temperature was lower than usual today, but I didn’t care. I shed my clothes, put on my tracksuit, and began to swim.

I was chilled to the bone, but I kept swimming, determined to have a good time and raise my body heat by doing so. I did laps around the lake back and forth, but instead of getting warmer, I got even colder.

Unbeknownst to me, the temperature was dropping even more. My breathing began to be shallow and my teeth chattered as I clenched them together. I was now fully aware that something was wrong. I struggled to swim back to the edge of the lake and Hanzo, who had just walked into the cave, rushed over to me, calling my name.

His yells echoed through the cave but sounded so far away from me as I began to lose consciousness.

I reached towards the edge of the lake, where Hanzo’s hand awaited me, but I missed and sank into the deep, my eyes fluttering closed as a final thought ran through my mind.

_You were right, Hanzo... I am nothing..._

I shot up in my bed, panting, gasping, and wheezing, and sighed deeply at the nightmare I just had. Then, I noticed the space heater on my side of the bed and tilted my head in confusion. I shivered violently a few times and then panicked at the warmth I felt behind me. I turned my head to see Hanzo holding me tightly against him.

_What?! Why am I in his arms?!_

“Do not move,” he warned me softly, “you are still suffering from hypothermia. Your temperature was dangerously low. It was foolish to swim in such cold weather! After pulling you out of the water, I brought you straight back to your room and had Hana help you change into something warmer before I started to warm you up myself.”

“Why are you holding me? You didn’t even want to walk alongside me yesterday...” I asked him sadly.

“Do you wish to die, then? Fool. I am doing it to keep you alive. Your body temperature is still very low,” he bit back, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Well, you can stop. I appreciate it, but... I don’t want you doing anything that makes you uncomfortable, or that you feel obligated to do...” I pulled away from him and rose from the bed, but my limbs gave out on me and I fell to the ground.

“Stop being so proud!” he cried out, rushing over and kneeling down to help me up.

“I could tell you the same thing!” I shouted back, glaring up at him with a hurt expression on my face. He stared at me with a shocked expression on his face, and then turned his head, letting out a low growl as he sat in seiza beside me.

“I do not... feel uncomfortable or as though I am obligated to help you...” he began. I could tell he was hesitant to talk about this.

“Then what do you feel?” I pressed, searching his face.

“I feel... different when I’m around you. I feel... at peace. Without you here, I would be in chaos. I thought I wanted to be completely alone, but really, I... needed someone who would be patient with me and understand me like you. The thought of losing you...”

I gaped at him, confused about how he meant that, but then I smiled, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled myself back into his arms, sitting on his lap.

“Thank you for confiding in me...” I murmured softly. He held me against him tightly and reached over to grab the space heater, putting it in front of me. Then, he shifted us into a lying down position where we were on the floor. 

After about thirty more minutes, I tried to stand once more and was relieved to find that I had my strength back. Hanzo had fallen asleep and was breathing steadily.

I leaned down and smiled at his peaceful face before kissing him on the cheek. He stirred and looked up at me in confusion.

“Good morning,” I joked, smiling down at him and running a hand along his face.

“おはよう, _Morning,_ ” he echoed back in Japanese. His lips twitched slightly as though he was about to smile, but then a stern expression crossed his face and he pointed out, “you are getting to be quite familiar with me.”

I sighed as my heart sank in my chest.

“I’m sorry. From now on, I will try to keep things strictly professional between us,” I vowed. 

“Very well,” he approved. Then, I crashed into him, hugging him tightly as I pressed my body against his.

“What happened to keeping things professional?” Hanzo demanded. Although there was a scowl on his face, his voice was teasing at most.

“I tried and failed. I will try harder next time,” I promised him. He let out a small scoff and I continued.

“I just wanted to say thank you for saving me. I know you must think I’m some arrogant worm or something, but I think that you’re amazing, and I'm glad that I can be someone in your life that brings peace to you and is here for you.”

When I pulled out of the hug, there was a dazed look on his face as though he was trying to put the pieces of a big puzzle together. I smiled at him half-heartedly and left him there to take a bath. When I came out, Hanzo was sitting at a small table in the middle of the floor with two plates of food for the two of us and two lit candles on the tabletop. A Sake warmer and two cups sat on the table as well.

I grinned mischievously and demanded, “What happened to keeping things professional?”

“You are not the only one who tries and fails at things. It seems I am no better than... an arrogant worm,” he said, taking a sip of Sake and letting out a low chuckle.

I gaped at him and almost laughed at his suave demeanour. Then, I got somewhat worried.

_He’s not acting himself... is this because of the Sake?_

“Hanzo...” I began carefully, “how much Sake have you had?”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at me before he poured both himself and me a shot.

“I have not had much, nor do I much care for the insinuation, (y/n).”

“I’m sorry, I just... never mind,” I dismissed, smiling at him. “I’m sorry for accusing you of anything.” I sat down on my spot at the table and drank my Sake. He quickly refilled my cup and I began eating the meal. As we ate, Hanzo kept filling up our sake cups and we kept drinking.

Tonight, it was Spaghetti with a salad on the side. I smiled as I took a bite of it and then held up a hand.

“I know what would make this moment even better... Music!” I exclaimed.

“I hope you have music I would like,” Hanzo said in a haughty voice, crossing his arms.

“I think I have something you’d appreciate.” I turned on some Japanese lo-fi Hip hop and sat back down at the table, taking another bite of spaghetti and closing my eyes as I hummed along with the song.

“You know, just because I am Japanese does not mean—” Hanzo began with a scowl, stopping as the beat dropped.

“I actually like this... It is a neat infusion of traditional and modern,” he said with a grin. “I usually listen to rock and classical music on and off, but this is something new.”

“I really enjoy this sort of music. It’s a nice blend of the past and the present. Do you know what my favourite instrument is? I mean, I’ve never played one before but... A Koto.”

Hanzo’s shoulders shuffled and his head bowed for a moment before a roar of laughter erupted from him. I crossed my arms and stared incredulously at him.

“I’m sorry. It’s just hilarious to me that you are so... strange,” he admitted.

“Strange?” I demanded, laughing at him as I drank my Sake.

“Yes,” he smiled and stared thoughtfully at the sake cup in his hand with an expression on his face that Lorelai couldn’t read, “you are strange. Most people are so very predictable, but you are an entirely different creature altogether.”

I gaped at the poetry that came out of his mouth, as I didn’t think he was romantic at all.

“Well... wow. Thank you,” I said with a blush.

“Why did you thank me? I said you were strange. You are extremely erratic and inconsistent!” he said with a bout of laughter.

 _And... there it is..._ I thought to myself bitterly as I growled under my breath, took another shot of sake, and finished my food.

Eventually, I switched the music over to something more lively and began to dance and sing along with the music, the Sake finally hitting me.

Hanzo stood up from the table, and to my surprise, he began to dance along with me, only... he was doing some sort of martial arts. I laughed loudly and he stopped, staring at me with a look of confusion on his face.

“You’re supposed to dance, Hanzo,” I chided him, putting my hands on my hips.

“Well many dances were derived from Martial Art forms!” he objected, crossing his arms and fixing me with an unamused stare.

“That may be, but not this sort of dancing. You need to let loose. It’s weird and very...” I ran a hand along his back, walking around him slowly and intently, “unpredictable.”

I began cutting shapes on the floor, shuffling my feet wildly as I let loose and Hanzo watched me curiously, not moving.

“Come on! Haven’t you ever been to a club or anything before?” I teased him, twirling around and booping him on the nose.

“Once... a long time ago. Genji... dragged me to a club with him so we could get drunk and dance with beautiful women,” Hanzo admitted, cringing slightly as he recalled it.

The song changed into something mid-paced, sleek, and sensual, and I grinned as I moved towards him deliberately.

“Dance with me like you did at the club, then,” I flirted with him, nearing him and swaying my body with the beat I began by rolling my hips and moving my arms up and down with the flow of things.

Hanzo stared at me for several moments, his mouth agape with shock as I swayed in front of him. I beckoned to him, running my hands up and down my body with the rhythm, but he just stared on. 

As that song ended and another came on, I sighed, about to give up and turn off the stereo as it wasn’t any fun dancing by myself. Suddenly, Hanzo’s hands slid over my raised hands and he began to grind against me, matching my rhythm as my hips swayed.

I laughed loudly, pleasantly surprised, and smiled as he twirled me around to face him and changed up the dance, bending his knees and swaying his hips, his right arm around the back of my neck and his left around the small of my back. I leaned back and let my crotch swing forward as I grinded into him.

“Hm!” He grinned devilishly and yanked me back to him before spinning me around, grabbing my hips, and grinding into me roughly. I let out a low moan that I was hoping he wouldn’t hear over the volume of the music, and grinded against him, leaning over so my ass was directly against his crotch.

His hands rubbed against my shoulders and ran down my back to rest on my hips before remaining there.

Finally, I leaned up, turned around to face him, and shook my upper body playfully, leaning forward and forcing him backwards. To my surprise, instead of simply leaning with me, he jumped backwards.

I giggled and said playfully, “水のように流れ、射手！ _Flow like water, archer!”_

He scoffed, smiled as he swayed from side to side, and fell in step with me once more. This time, as I leaned into him, he rolled his body back gracefully, and as I leaned back, he followed just the same.

I smiled brightly and he mirrored my expression for a fleeting moment before the smile slid off his face and another look washed over him that I didn’t understand, until the next moment when I danced into him and he kissed me roughly.

I moaned in surprise at the sudden rush of passion and kissed him back, leaning into him and running my hands up his neck and through his hair. His hands began to explore me and I pulled him even closer to me, wanting him badly.

Then, I realized two things: firstly, that he originally wanted to keep things professional, and secondly, that we had had too much sake.

I grabbed his hands and pulled out of the kiss slowly, biting my lip and resisting the urge to shred his clothing like the wrapping on a Birthday Present.

 _I’d love to see the package he’s hiding beneath those hakama..._ I thought lustfully. _No, stop it! You’re drunk! You need to be responsible here. Think!_

I groaned as my conscience kicked in.

“I... I can’t... we can’t. We’re drunk,” I explained poorly, my heart still racing from the thoughts of what could be.

“So what? We are not so drunk that we cannot consent and make decisions,” Hanzo countered softly as he ran a hand through my hair and pulled me back into him for another short make-out session.

I groaned and pulled away again, shaking my head and wrapping my arms around him. My thoughts were dizzying, a tumultuous mixture of alcohol and dangerous levels of passion, but I knew I couldn't go through with this with him while drunk.

 _Not for our first time... Besides, Hanzo in a solid state of mind would never be with me like this..._ I thought to myself as a pang of sorrow pierced me.

I pressed my forehead to his, resisting the urge to kiss him again.

“I really want you right now, and I know you want me as well, but at the same time, I think you’ll thank me for this in the morning. We are not going to do anything with each other except sleep in the same bed, if you’d like to spend the night in my room. Later on, when the both of us are completely sober, if you still have those sorts of feelings for me, then we’ll see where things go,” I murmured, the alcohol suddenly amplifying my feelings of sadness.

Hanzo pulled out of the hug and fixed me with a similar sad stare.

“Alright, I respect your wishes,” he told me as he stumbled over to the bed and stripped into his boxers before getting into it and getting comfortable beneath the covers. He smiled half-heartedly and patted the other side of the bed next to him, opening his arms to me.

I stripped out of my clothes and got in with my bra and underwear on, pulling the covers over me. Then, I sighed contently as Hanzo shifted towards me and pulled me into him, his body pressed tightly against my own.

 _Even if I can't have him sexually, he's still here, and he's still mine for the night._ I thought happily to myself.

Then, he whispered into my ear, “I promise you that my feelings will remain the same tomorrow morning when we both wake up.” I smiled into him as he kissed my cheek and rested his head back on the pillow.

Then, turning my head away from him, I frowned, and tears began to pool in my eyes as I knew exactly what would happen the next morning.

 _You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, Hanzo... We both know that tomorrow you will either forget or regret what happened between us..._ I thought bitterly as I drifted off into a mostly comfortable sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! Hope you enjoy! ^_^

The next morning, Hanzo was gone and his spot on the bed was cold. I stared at it for a moment sadly, feeling stupid about being heartbroken when I knew exactly what was going to happen.

 _What did you expect?_ I asked myself, getting up and getting dressed to train with Hanzo. I headed down to the cave and found him there practicing more Tai Chi. I smiled as I stared at him and watched him do the forms gracefully. Every single move and every breath he took was deliberate and planned. It was breath-taking to me.

I recognized the movements he was doing and slowly crept up on him, starting the eight forms I knew behind him. He kept going until he turned and saw me moving fluidly and doing Tai Chi right alongside him. He gaped for a moment and then continued his form. We both finished and took our ending stances, putting our right fist against our flattened hand and bowing respectfully to each other.

I smiled at Hanzo, but he didn’t return my smile, and his eyes did not betray any sort of emotion. I cleared my throat and shifted awkwardly, but he didn’t say anything, he just kept staring at me.

“So, I assume you remember the events of last night?” I asked him, trying to break the silence.

“Yes, I do,” he responded evenly.

“It was fun! I had a great time. Thank you for dining and dancing with me,” I told him, smiling brightly at him. When he nodded at me but said nothing, I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. “I take it you remember the final thing I said to you last night?”

“I do.”

I stared up at him hopefully and stepped closer to him until we were almost face to face.

“I told you that we weren’t going to... do anything while drunk, but that if you still had those feelings for me when we were sober, we could pick up where we left off,” I said softly as my arms wrapped around his neck slowly and my eyes fluttered to his lips.

His eyes searched my own, but they were narrowed and serious. Then, they focused on my lips, much to my surprise. I leaned closer to him, closing my eyes and pleading internally with him to close the distance between us.

“I feel...” he began. There was a pause, and I could feel his breath against my skin. “...like we should do some training,” he finished sternly, gently removing his hands from around my neck and backing away from me. I shook my head in refusal.

“No,” I declared, glaring at him.

“No?” he demanded, glaring back at me. I got right in his face.

“No,” I spat, walking over to a corner of the cave and stripping my clothing until I was fully naked. I pulled my hair tie off and threw it atop my clothing. Then, I passed by him closely, ignoring his arrogant, piercing, scowl as I made my way to the lake.

“So, we will be doing swimming lessons then?”

“I’m just swimming. I don’t plan on giving any lessons today. You can do as you please,” I bit back at him as I dove into the lake and began to swim laps to let off some steam.

 _I’m so damn sick of his back and forth behaviour! Why can’t he just be straight with me for once?!_ I griped internally as I switched from freestyle strokes to butterflies. Then, I floundered in the water in shock as I heard a large splash from behind me.

I whirled around to see Hanzo’s body sinking in the water. He straightened his back, put his arms and legs out, and floated up to the surface, taking a few steady breaths before staring up at the ceiling; his bare chest slowly rising and falling. I scoffed and went back to swimming laps until I heard him call my name.

“What is it?” I demanded; treading water close by him.

“I would like for you to teach me how to swim. I cannot make it back to shore otherwise,” he said as he kept afloat.

“Then I guess you’re stuck here forever,” I griped, taking off to swim more laps.

“Please, teach me!” he called out to me.

 _Fuck off..._ I thought to myself.

I kept swimming for awhile longer but stopped as I heard Hanzo singing. His song resonated throughout the whole cave and I listened intently to it.

“灯火近くきぬぬう母は, 春の遊びの楽しさ語る. _A mother sewing clothes by the fireplace. talks about the fun of playing in Spring._ 居並ぶ子供は指をお栗鼠つ, ひかずけぞえてよろこびいさむ. _The children sitting in a row use their fingers to count the days with hopeful joy before the spring comes.”_

“いろりびはとろとろそとはふぶき。 _The fire is flickering, and it is snowing hard outside._ いろりのはたになわなうちちは, すぎしいくさのてがらをかたる. _The father, making a rope by the fireside, talks about his feats in the past war._ 居並ぶ子供は眠さ忘れて、耳を方向け拳を握る. _The children in the line forget their sleepiness and listen carefully to his story, clenching their fists._ いろりびはとろとろそとはふぶき。 _The fire is flickering, and it is snowing hard outside.”_

Towards the end of his song, I noticed his voice becoming strained and he struggled to stay afloat. On the last note he sang, his head sank into the water. I dove underwater and swam to the surface, pressing his body upward and holding it against my own.

“You took my advice and sang,” I pointed out, smiling warmly at him.

“Hm! I did it so I would not drown!” Hanzo bit back bitterly. “Though, I had faith that you would not let me.”

I eyed him curiously for a moment, still unsure about whether I wanted to go down this rabbit hole again. He was attractive, passionate, and domineering, and I really liked him, but all the same, he seemed to be toying with me.

“Very well. We will resume our lessons,” I declared.

_I will keep things professional between us. Strictly professional. Nothing else will happen unless he confesses his feelings for me, and I don’t think that will ever happen..._

That night, I taught him how to do two different strokes: the doggy paddle and the freestyle. He was able to perform them by the end of the afternoon, albeit in a very rigid manner that made me laugh. 

As the days went on, we taught each other many things. I taught him how to swim like a fish and he began teaching me archery. We set up some makeshift targets on the far side of the cave and swam to the tiny cove to the opposing side so we could practice. His bow and arrows were made of platinum and painted with waterproof colours, and the fletching was coated with a water-repellent feather treatment.

We spent hours shooting and Hanzo would come up behind me, his body flush against mine, as he corrected my posture and shooting technique. Eventually, as he came up behind me once more, I stomped on his foot, crouched down, and elbowed him in the crotch before springing up into the air and launching my arrow at the target with a loud cry of frustration.

It hit the target dead centre and I turned around to see Hanzo leaning against the nearby wall, struggling to keep upright, a scowl on his face.

“Was that really necessary?” he growled, raising a fist and throwing it to the side. I raised an eyebrow at him and stepped forward until I was hovering over him.

“Lean your body against mine one more time and try to be... ‘friendly,’ and I’ll do more than give it a little love tap,” I declared, putting his bow down on the ground and swimming back over to the main part of the cave. I changed quickly into my regular clothing and said a quick farewell to Hanzo before I left, climbing back up the rocky wall.

I headed back into my room and took a long shower, letting the hot water wash away the cave smell as well as my frustration. I got dressed in my pajamas and was about to leave my room to head downstairs when I overheard McCree and Hanzo talking in hushed voices down the hall. I poked my head out into the hallways and strained my ears to hear them.

“Look, you gotta have finesse, darlin’. You have to be confident and slick,” McCree drawled.

“Jesse… I did what you said already, but it didn’t work! In fact, it went terribly…” Hanzo said in a voice filled with regret. Then, he murmured something I couldn’t hear, and McCree roared with laughter.

“Shut up!” Hanzo hissed.

“Ah ha ha! Sorry, Hanzo, I just couldn’t help myself!” he apologised before putting a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. He shot him a sympathetic look. “Hanzo… you need to just use your words here. There’s no better pick-up line than pure honesty.”

“I have tried before… several times. I say or do the wrong thing every time and push her away…” Hanzo admitted, scowling at the floor.

“Then you need to be honest with yourself,” McCree said sternly, frowning at Hanzo as he began to walk away. I quickly ducked back inside of my room and waited a few moments before walking out and glancing over at Hanzo before turning away from him and starting towards the dining hall. Then, I stopped, bit my lip, and sighed as I realised I should give Hanzo the benefit of the doubt and help him out.

I turned back towards him and called his name. His head shot up from the floor in shock and he quickly steeled his nerves.

“Have you come to apologize for assaulting me earlier?” he demanded. I raised an eyebrow at him before scowling.

“Excuse me? That was retaliation for you assaulting me! You kept pressing yourself against me… without my permission! Is that really necessary for teaching someone archery?” I bit back.

“Hmph!” he scoffed turning his head away from me and crossing his arms.

“How childish…! I came to ask you if you wanted to join me for dinner tonight, but I’ll leave you to your… brooding or whatever it was that you were doing.”

I began to walk away when Hanzo put a gentle hand on my elbow to stop me. Then, he murmured a quick apology for touching me without permission and fumbled over his words.

I rolled my eyes and offered him my arm. He stopped talking and took i, and as I smiled up at him, he stared at me the same way as he had awhile back just before he broke off from my arm and walked off.

 _Please don’t…_ I pleaded internally as tears formed in my eyes. _You did it again, (y/n), you let him in. Any second now, he's going to hurt you again._

“You… you’re crying,” Hanzo said suddenly. I gasped and wiped my eyes quickly, letting out a light chuckle.

“Sorry, it must be allergies,” I lied, shaking my head.

“I do not recall seeing any reports about allergies on the news…” Hanzo countered, staring up ahead deep in thought.

“It’s allergies,” I finalized, pulling away from him and hurriedly grabbing a plate of food. I sat across from McCree, who raised an eyebrow at me, smiled, and tipped his hat. I smiled back and nodded my head at him before tearing into my food.

The rugged gunslinger grinned and remarked, “Wow, you sure are hungry.”

I chuckled and bit back playfully, “You know… that’s not a good thing to say to a girl.”

“Ah,” McCree took his hat off his head and placed it on his chest, “you got me all wrong, Darlin’. I like a girl with a healthy appetite.” He flashed me a devilish smile and my heart pounded in my chest at all the possible implications.

“Well now, Cowboy. It seems like you have an appetite yourself, tonight,” I flirted back, leaning forward slightly.

“Yes, ma’am.” He put his hat back on, ran his hand across the rim, and leaned forward to meet me in the middle of the table. “Maybe you’d like to help me out with that tonight?” I chuckled and placed my head in my hands, propping them up on my elbows.

“Why, Jesse McCree, you are an outlaw, aren’t you?”

“You know what they say… You can take the Man out of the Outlaw life, but you can’t take the Outlaw out of a Man.”

His eyes were a stark contrast to Hanzo’s. Rather than staring into two deep pits that drew me in and threatened to consume me, I was staring into sunlight that wanted nothing more or less than to set me aflame.

We leaned closer to each other and I feinted my kiss, pulling away and asking him, “What are we waiting for, Cowboy?” I threw my food away and rushed off, teasingly looking back over my shoulder.

McCree followed suit, chasing after me and waiting until I was at his door before he shoved me against the wall and leaned in to kiss me, pulling away at the last second.

“Shall we go inside?” he asked me in a husky tone of voice.

“Lead the way, Cowboy,” I said as my eyes fluttered down to his lips. I struggled to control my breathing and heartbeat because I knew that as lethal as McCree’s charms were, I couldn’t give into them while I cared for another. Plus, he was way out of line.

As soon as we were inside and McCree closed the door, we both turned and yelled at each other, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

A look of shock appeared on our faces and I pointed a finger at McCree saying, “You tried to woo me over here right after you got done giving Hanzo encouragement to go after me!”

“And you were flirtin’ with me, too! Don’t think I didn’t see you spyin’ on us outside while we were talkin’! What kinda femme fatale heartbreakin’ bullshit is this?” he demanded. “I only started flirting with you because I thought that Hanzo would step up, cut in, and show you how he feels!”

“And I only did it so I could confront you about being a bad friend to Hanzo!”

Then, slowly, we both began to chuckle and then roar with laughter until we cried.

“Well, I’m really glad that you don’t actually have feelins for me or anything. That would be hella weird,” McCree admitted, wincing with a slight grin on his face. Then, he frowned and sighed deeply. “But my plan backfired and Hanzo now probably feels a lot worse. I saw him scowlin’ at us in the corner of the room.”

“Wait,” I said as I thought of something, “we can still save face. I have an idea. Hopefully, he hasn’t gone back to his bedroom yet.”

“No, he couldn’t have. Not with the speed we ran up here at. Could be on his way though.”

We cracked the door open and watched for him to walk down the hallway. 

As soon as we heard Hanzo was halfway down the hall, I backed out of the room and declared, “...and that’s why I’m not going to sleep with you. I care about Hanzo, even though he hasn't taken the initiative to pursue me as you have. He also hasn't... rejected me either. I… have feelings for him, and I'm going to remain loyal. I'm sorry, but I don’t feel the same about you. You’re a good man, McCree, but let’s just be friends, alright?”

McCree grinned brightly, but took off his hat and bowed his head, saying, “Ouch… that kinda stings, but I understand. Thank you for telling me.”

“Don’t you dare tell Hanzo, or else I’ll make sure they never find your body when I’m through with it…!” I threatened him. He held his hands up and cringed in mock fear.

“Duly noted, ma’am,” he said as he waved goodbye to me and closed the door. I headed to my room, catching a small glimpse of Hanzo peeking over at me from around the corner.

 _Ha! Got him. Thanks, cowboy!_ I thought excitedly as I entered my room and lay back on my bed. I considered this a small victory. _Now, he at least knows how I feel about him. What he decides to do with that information is up to him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--The song Hanzo sings is called "Winter Night" by Yumiko Samejima. (冬の夜 鮫島有美子)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! ^_^ Hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Violence and stuff

I sighed as I thought about the upcoming days. Because of all the training I had been doing with Hanzo, Genji recommended me for a training test called "The Gauntlet," which was coming up next week. I would have to fight three overwatch agents in battle in order to become one, myself.

_I wonder who I’ll be duelling._ I curled up underneath the covers and drifted off to sleep. That week, I was surprised to find that Hanzo was actually becoming more and more distant. I wondered if I had offended him or something by my actions, so the day before my test, I asked him to have dinner with me just before we left the cave.

“Not tonight,” he said bluntly, “perhaps another time.” He turned and walked out of the cave. 

“Wait!” I cried after him. He groaned slightly and turned back to face me. I took a deep breath and let him know what had been on my mind.

“I want you to know that nothing happened between me and McCree the other night. I told him I wasn’t interested in him. I just wanted to tease him a bit since he’s always being so flirtatious.”

There was silence for a short while as he searched my eyes, and my heart pounded eagerly, waiting for his response. Then, his eyes seemed to darken, and he crossed his arms.

“It is of no consequence to me what goes on in your personal life,” he said coldly, his eyes narrowed, centered on my face. I gaped at him and my eyes filled up with tears. “Hmph! More allergies, I expect?”

“Not this time, Hanzo…” I murmured, walking over to the cave wall and slumping against it sadly. I wiped my eyes quickly, and as Hanzo walked back over to me, I sat up and began to meditate, eager to avoid him. I heard a deep sigh escape him.

Then, to my surprise, he said softly, “Tomorrow is your test. I hope that… you will face your challenges and the people that you will be up against with honour and fight well, regardless of who they are.”

I smiled slightly before opening my eyes, but he had already left the cave without me even hearing a single one of his footsteps.

The next morning, I woke up bright and early and got dressed in a black and gold skin-tight suit that Hana had gotten me a few weeks ago. She wanted to take all of the women of Overwatch out for a shopping spree, so all of us went into Spain. As we shopped, Hana secretly took note of my sizes and contacted her MEKA Suit makers to make me something special.

I smiled as I looked at myself in the mirror. Not too long ago, I was Talon’s patsy; a defenseless, harmless woman with no direction in life, but now… I was lethal. I put my warpaint on: dark grey eyeshadow with silver edging, black eyeliner with long wings, and wine-red lipstick, and then I smiled into the mirror once more.

I wet my hair slightly before tousling it with mousse, making it flow along my back down to my butt. I took one last look in the mirror and breathed deeply, trying to instill myself with confidence. Over the past month, I hadn’t just learned things from Hanzo, I had learned things from each Overwatch member. 

Genji taught me about sword fighting and Tai Chi, McCree taught me proper gun handling and how to shoot decently, Brigitte taught me about how to use a shield alongside a weapon, Angela taught me various medical skills that were important to know on the field of battle, and Reinhardt showed me how to protect others, as well as the importance of it.

I smiled in remembrance at all the lessons I had with each of them and took a deep breath before going downstairs for breakfast.

“Guten Morgen, _Good morning,_ Reinhardt!” I greeted him enthusiastically, thanking him as I grabbed a plate of breakfast.

“Ah ha! You are looking quite chipper today!” he exclaimed, giving me a thumbs-up. “Oh, you have your examination today, yes?”

“That’s right! I’m really excited to become an Overwatch agent!” I grinned from ear-to-ear and Reinhardt placed a large hand on my shoulder.

“And we will be lucky to have you with us,” he said softly, smiling brightly at me. I nodded at him and walked over to the breakfast table. I spotted Hanzo, who was sitting across from McCree, talking quietly about something.

McCree had a serious expression on his face, which was extremely unlike him, and Hanzo donned a look of concern as he spoke, moving his hands as the words flowed from his mouth.

“Well... that may be so, but the problem is that today I have to fa—” Hanzo was saying, but quickly stopped when he saw me approach. He straightened himself up, neutralized the expression on his face, and cleared his throat. “Good morning, (y/n).” 

“Good morning, Hanzo. McCree,” I greeted the two of them. I sat down next to Hanzo and began to eat. After a few minutes, I caught him eyeing me curiously.

“What is it?” I demanded, looking over at him worriedly.

“Are you really going to wear your hair like that into battle?” he demanded, his voice stained with disapproval.

“Well, it’s not a battle; it’s a test. I’m fighting my friends and proving my worth. What does it matter how my hair looks?”

“It matters because anything can be used against you. A princess does not belong on the field of battle,” he told me, closing his eyes and taking a long sip of his drink. I gritted my teeth and rose from my spot at the table angrily.

“This princess _does_ ,” I growled, balling my fists and glaring at him. Hanzo stood and glared right back at me, refusing to back off. McCree stared at the two of us for a minute before raising both hands and smiling sheepishly.

“Hey now, let’s save that energy for the arena...” he warned them with a slight edge to his voice that suggested he would step in if necessary. Hanzo let out a low growl of contempt, grabbed his food, and walked away.

“I’ll show you what this princess can do...” I murmured angrily under my breath.

“Just what in the hell was that?” McCree demanded, snapping at me and waving his arms in frustration. I scoffed. 

“You should ask him. Every damn time I try to get close to him, he shoves me away further and further. He must really not like me...” I admitted, hanging my head in despair. McCree sighed and walked over to me, wrapping two large, warm arms around me.

“I hear ya, Pumpkin... Don’t worry, he’ll come around. I’ll talk to him soon, alright?” he said in a soft, low voice. I sniffed and pulled out of the hug, nodding. “Besides, you have a very important test today. I’m not sure who all you’re gonna be fightin’, but it’s going to be hard, for sure. You’ve got this. Stay focused.”

I nodded, sat back down, and we continued to eat together in silence. Just as I finished the last bite of my sausage, I heard my name over the intercoms. 

“(Y/n), please report to Training Room One for your assessment,” Athena called out.

“On my way, Athena,” I responded, taking my dishes to the sink and rinsing them before rushing towards the Training Hall. I punched in my code and entered the first Training Room, taking deep, steady breaths to calm myself as I approached the center of the room.

The lights were dimmed, but as I stepped further inside, they turned on and D.Va in her giant mech landed in the middle of the room with a powerful thud. 

“Hey, (Y/N)! You ready?” she exclaimed loudly, smiling brightly at me. I tilted my head in confusion and nodded.

“Hana, what did we discuss?” Dr. Ziegler asked with mild irritation in her voice. I looked up to see her in the spectator box along with most of the others, but before I got a chance to see who I would be fighting, a solid force crashed into me.

“Right! Sorry, Dr. Ziegler!” D.Va exclaimed as she drove MEKA to rush into me. “I am a member of Talon! Prepare to die!” she exclaimed, glaring at me through her MEKA. My eyes widened as I saw the emotion in hers. She was out for my blood.

Just before we hit the wall, I recovered, gripping the top of the mech and flipping over it just as it crashed. Then, I ran as fast as I could over to the weapon rack, grabbing a pair of short swords and a smoke bomb.

_I’ve never used two swords before, but I might need them in this case..._ I thought to myself frantically as I whirled around and readied myself. Hana was an amazing actress, that much I knew, and she was really getting into character as a Talon soldier.

She flew at me again, but this time, she fired MEKA’s guns at me. I rolled out of the way and dodged them, but one small laser managed to catch me in the arm. I gritted my teeth and rolled towards her, throwing the smoke bomb at MEKA’s feet. 

Thick, black smoke filled the air and I quickly took that opportunity to jump on top of her mech, stab my swords into the cover on the pilot’s cockpit, and yank it off, roughly grabbing her and throwing her out of it. She let out a loud groan as she slammed against the ground hard and I quickly jumped down between her and her mech, preventing her from re-entering it.

She pulled her gun out of its holster and shot at me. I quickly dodged each shot, feeling the last one scorch the edge of my right cheek as I rolled and weaved out of the way. I waited until she needed to reload and rushed in, tackling her and prising the gun from her grip. I threw it away and held her against the ground. She groaned for a moment in frustration before she tapped out and I quickly let her up.

“Good job,” she murmured before taking her mech out of the arena. Before I even got the chance to thank her, I was hit hard in the stomach by something metal and knocked back against the wall roughly. I groaned and shook my head as I struggled to get up and saw Brigitte swinging her flail above her head, threatening to make another attack.

“Come on, let’s go! Take that attack like a champ,” she goaded me. When I stood there panting and didn’t move, she narrowed her eyes at me, lowered her weapon, and her fist clenched her flail more tightly.

“I thought I was getting an actual fight! This is insulting! Ha!” She threw another attack at me and I grinned. 

I rolled towards her and punched her in the face hard, making her step back a few paces as I rushed over to the weapon rack and chose a different set of weapons: a Glock .22 pistol, ammo, and several flashbangs. I hid the flashbangs inside of a hidden pocket on my outfit and ran back into the fight, raising my pistol.

Brigitte held up her shield, ready for my bullets, and I fired several shots into it, breaking it down. I kept rushing at her and waited for her to try to hit me with her flail. Even though she merely swung it at me this time, it still granted me an opening to throw a flashbang and deck her a few more times before jumping backwards.

Brigitte let out a loud growl and thrust her flail at me once more before holding up her shield again. I broke it down and this time fired several shots into her armour. While it didn’t go through her armour, I could tell it definitely bruised. She rushed into me now, swinging her flail wildly, and as she hit me with it, I grabbed ahold of the end, pulling it and her towards me.

As she neared me, I headbutted her straight in her nose, knocking her out clean. A steady flow of blood ran out of her nose and I quickly sat her up with her head tilted down so she wouldn’t choke.

“Dr. Ziegler!” I called out.

“On my way,” she responded over the comm systems.

That’s when I felt a threatening presence and dove to the side just as an arrow whizzed by my head. My jaw dropped as I realised who I would be fighting next.

_No way... There’s no fucking way!_ I thought to myself as I turned and saw Hanzo Shimada ready to launch another arrow.

There was a stern, cold, emotionless expression on his face and I had the distinct feeling that he was a hunter and I was nothing more than prey for him to take out.

I managed to somehow dodge his arrows and make it back to the weapon rack when I caught one in the upper part of my right shoulder that passed through and lodged into it. I groaned loudly and fell to the ground, but quickly reached up and grabbed a sword. The pain in my arm was intense and searing, but I left the arrow in it, knowing that I could damage it even more. Instead, I used my sword to quickly slice off the ends of it so it wouldn’t hinder my fighting.

_I can still use it! It’s hella painful, but the nerves are fine!_ I thought to myself as I gripped the sword stubbornly and rushed at Hanzo, who loosed another arrow at me. I timed it right and sliced the arrow, preventing it from going through my head before I aimed a strike at his head.

He blocked me and we stepped in, trying to get each other off balance. He shoved me backwards and swung his bow underneath my feet, managing to catch me off guard and knock me over. I went to roll out of the way, but he grabbed me by the hair roughly with one hand, twisted it around his hand for leverage, and shoved me into the ground, holding me there.

“I told you, didn’t I? The battlefield is no place for a Princess,” he growled into my ear. “You have failed me as a student, (Y/n).” My heart pounded in my chest as anger began to well up within me.

“I’m gonna make you eat those words...!” I growled.

“And just what can you do? Your current state is pathetic. Admit defeat with honour and dignity, but never accept defeat. Train harder and win,” he bit back, pulling my hair more tightly and forcing my head up.

I panted heavily and weighed my options, struggling to find a way out of my current situation. My sword was still by my side, he was holding me by the hair, and he was close to me. As Hanzo turned his head and let out a scoff, I eyed his golden scarf that he used for a hair tie as it flickered near his shoulder.

_My... hair... means nothing to me!_ I realised. As much as I liked to look cute and style it, I wanted to win even more. I knew what I was doing would be risky. Cutting at even half an inch more or less than where I needed to swing my sword could be fatal.

I took a deep breath and a neutral expression slid across my face. In one swift motion, I gripped my sword in my right hand, swung it around with as much precision as I could muster, and managed to slice the space just between my scalp and Hanzo’s hand. Hanzo fell backwards in shock at the sudden motion.

I threw my sword to the side, jumped around him, and grabbed his hair tie, wrapping it around his neck once and pulling it back, choking him violently. As he grabbed at me, I jumped up and put my legs around his neck, squeezing his neck with my thighs and pulling my hands further away from me so I could choke him without any sort of interference.

He choked, struggled, and spluttered for about thirty seconds or so before his face began turning purple and then blue. Finally, he tapped out. I pulled the hair tie off his neck and rolled backwards, standing up and getting into a fighting stance.

He panted heavily and I could hear growls emanating from his throat as he caught his breath. Everything was deathly silent for several minutes. Hanzo slowly rose from the floor and looked over at the spot where the pile of my own hair rested before turning to glare at me. 

Then, Angela stammered, “G-good job, (y/n). We shall talk amongst each other about things, but... you have passed your assessment!” She didn’t sound happy at all; she sounded worried. That, coupled with the glare Hanzo was giving me, made me feel like an outcast once more.

“Then why does it feel as though I’ve lost?” I demanded, hanging my head low out of shame. When I met Hanzo’s gaze once more, it had softened ever so slightly, but no one answered me. I kicked the wall nearest to me and let out a snarl of frustration before bunching up my cut hair into a bundle, picking it up, and storming out of the room. I could hear Angela calling out to me, but I ignored it, instead heading back to my room for a long shower.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! ^_^ Hope it's a nice reprieve from the world right now.  
> Stay safe out there! :D
> 
> Warning: *stares into crystal ball* I foresee you reading sexy things in the future. Beware!

As I stepped into the hot water, I let out a sigh of relaxation as it seared my skin lightly. I washed the makeup off my face and shook my head at the relaxation I didn’t deserve to feel.

 _More._ I demanded, turning the water as hot as it would go. I let out a pained moan as the heat began to burn me and tears poured out of my eyes. A sob tore through me as the shock of the events that had just taken place hit me hard.

_I hurt Hana, broke Brigitte’s nose, and almost choked Hanzo to death... I hurt my friends badly..._

“I’m a monster...” I murmured aloud, leaning my head against the front wall of the shower, pounding a fist into it, and letting my skin burn.

It quickly turned a deep red colour and I began to get dizzy from the heat. I drew away from it, banging my back and shoulder against the rear wall of the shower. I yelped and clutched my shoulder as the pain came back to me and I was quickly reminded of the stub of arrow still stuck inside of me.

I shakily turned off the shower and stumbled out of it, clutching my shoulder as I dried off and got dressed into my nightclothes. I ran a hand through my hair nervously and remembered just how short it was now. A shudder ran through me and tears spilled down my cheeks as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror.

My hair was a mess, jutting out at strange angles where I had haphazardly cut it, but for the most part, it was only about two inches long. I used to like running my fingers through my hair. It was something stupid I would do that calmed my anxiety. Now, I not only thought I looked ugly, but I was stressed and felt alone in the world.

I looked over at the right side of the counter where the bundle of my hair was and sighed deeply.

_At least I can do something good with my sacrifice. In the morning, I will see about donating it to someone who needs it._

I wrapped my hand around my shoulder and a pang of loneliness tore through me as I realised that, I would rather get an infection than walk myself into the med bay. My thoughts raced.

_I don’t deserve their kindness. I don’t deserve friends like them. I can’t approach any of them right now... Besides... as it is, they probably hate—_

I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I gasped and jumped at the unexpected sound before exiting the bathroom and heading back into my bedroom.

“Wh-who is it?” I demanded, walking over to the door. No one answered for about ten seconds or so, but I could hear some shuffling outside of the door.

Finally, a gruff voice murmured, “Hanzo... I have come to check on you and... congratulate you.” I gaped in shock for a moment and tears welled up in my eyes.

“What I did today does not warrant any sort of celebration. I almost killed you... I hurt three people I care about today and probably frightened the rest of them,” I choked as my voice wavered.

“Ha! How foolish! Thinking that you almost killed me. I accepted defeat and you respected that. Had you kept attacking, I would have died, but you fought with honour today,” he countered. 

There was a pause and more shuffling and he finally admitted, “I never should have shot at you while you were helping Brigitte. It was dishonourable. Though... I suppose I technically was doing what I was assigned to do. I was told to attack and act as a Talon soldier would. They are ruthless and do not play by any set standard. They have no honour.”

I gaped and let out a small sigh as I reached out to open the door. As my hand touched the doorknob, I quickly withdrew it, realising that I didn’t want Hanzo to see me like this. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my head before wiping my eyes and answering the door.

As he walked into the room, I kept my eyes trained on the floor, refusing to meet his. I felt ugly and the only shield I had was the damn towel on my head.

“May I sit down?” Hanzo asked me. He was wearing casual clothing: a navy-blue muscle shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts, and his hair was tied into a top knot.

“Go ahead,” I responded flatly, walking over and sitting down on the other side of the bed. Luna suddenly came out from under the bed and jumped into my lap. I smiled ever so slightly, knowing that she was trying to comfort me. I pet her lightly and sighed deeply.

“You haven’t gotten your shoulder examined,” Hanzo pointed out. I bit my lip nervously.

“I... don’t want to go down there...” I admitted.

“It could get infected.”

“I-I don’t care!”

I stifled a sob, cleared my throat and quickly apologised to the stern archer, but as he offered, “I could treat it for you if you would allow me,” I realised that he was being more warm and patient with me than he had ever been before.

I nodded and gently pushed Luna off my lap to sit upright on the bed.

“There should be some medical supplies under the sink,” I informed him.

“I already brought my own,” Hanzo replied softly, and as I dared to turn my head and meet his gaze, he was smiling warmly at me with an apologetic look in his eyes. I quickly turned my head away out of guilt and eased the right sleeve of my tank top off my arm.

His hands, delicate and smooth, gently touched the area as he examined it and after a low grunt of acknowledgement, he used a tool he had and pulled the arrow shaft out of my shoulder. 

I groaned lightly and he murmured, “申し訳ありません。もう少しで終わりです。 _I’m sorry. It’s almost over.”_ He poured a disinfectant into the wound that stung a little and then began to dress it with gauze and a wrap. 

“I was injured several times over the years as I studied 弓道, the way of the bow. My father taught me how to treat both gunshot and arrow wounds because in our line of work, they were the most common injuries,” he admitted. I nodded slowly, wondering why he was sharing this with me.

“I am glad I was able to put my training to good use today and help you.” I froze at this new admission, startled by it, but simply nodded once more. He finished the wrap, but his hand pressed against the tender skin of my upper back. “Your skin is so red. Your whole body... It is as though you got a sunburn.”

His voice contained a hint of worry in it and I quickly stammered, “I-I took a hot shower. That’s all.”

“そですか？ _Is that so?”_ he asked doubtfully. I wanted to lie to him and tell him that I hadn’t let the water burn me as punishment for the crimes I had committed today, but I couldn’t utter a word. My lips trembled.

“Do you have any lotion?”

“There should be some underneath the sink,” I answered back.

“Then, please... allow me to treat you.” He didn’t move a muscle and after a minute, I realised he was waiting for my approval. I reluctantly nodded and he let out a sound of relief before digging around underneath my cabinets for some lotion.

He cursed in Japanese when he didn’t find what he was looking for and began searching my hair products. Finally, he grabbed a long bottle and smiled as he brought it back to me.

“I apologise. This is a bottle of hair lotion, but it is Shea butter which helps soothe burns. I was looking for lotion with Aloe, but Shea will do well.” When I didn’t respond, he added, “いいですか？Is this okay?”

I faltered for a moment, my mouth gaping as I wondered why he was being so kind to me, but I nodded all the same. He gathered some lotion in his hands, and I noticed his hesitation before he began to lather it onto my right arm, smoothing it out and rubbing it in. Then, he soothed the rest of the areas of my body that he could see, asking me permission once more before he applied the shea butter to my legs.

“W-why are you being so nice to me?” I ventured as he finished with my feet. His hands froze at my left foot and a deep sigh escaped him.

“It is because I have been nothing but presumptuous and rude to you since the moment we first met. I was prideful and arrogant this entire week, but I have hurt you even before that...” 

He continued rubbing the lotion into my foot and admitted, “I found out last week that I would be fighting against you today, and I thought that the best course of action would be to distance myself from you. While it probably was the right thing to do, I went about it the wrong way. I even belittled you and put you down. For that, I am sorry.”

I smiled lightly, but still didn’t look at him out of regret, though my eyes flashed over to his neck to see a purple bruise there from where I had choked him with his hair tie. I frowned and turned my head away from him.

“俺を見てください。 _Please, look at me,”_ he said with such determination in his voice that I actually did as he said. As I turned and stared into his dark brown eyes, a sense of calm washed over me, and I found myself delving into those eyes, almost getting lost in them. It wasn’t like before; there was no void that threatened to suck me in.

Instead, there was a warm, soothing, inviting quality to them that made me want to gaze into them forever. I could feel my body slowly leaning towards his and he smiled, leaning towards me in return.

Suddenly, Luna jumped up on the bed and playfully batted at the towel atop my head, knocking it off and revealing my choppy hair.

A cry of anguish escaped me, and I quickly covered my face.

“私を見ないで！ _Don’t look at me!”_ I cried instinctively as I began to tremble with anxiety. I felt ugly and miserable. It was as though I had lost something important to me.

_It’s stupid... Why should I feel this way about my hair? It’s hair! It will grow back!_

Tears welled up in my eyes, but it wasn’t until Hanzo asked, “why should I not,” that they fell. When he heard me badly stifle a sob, he gently removed my hands from my face, lifted my chin up so I’d meet his gaze, and added, “(y/n) は美しよ。 _You are beautiful.”_

I let out a few shuddering breaths before crashing into him and hugging him tightly, unable to control the tears that poured out of me. He stroked my hair gently and murmured words of affirmation to me in Japanese as he held me close to him. His scent: a strong, deep, woodsy fragrance that was infused with a light, floral aroma, slowly calmed me down.

After a few minutes of him just holding me in his arms, I finally pulled out of it to stare into his eyes once more. He smiled at me and wiped my tears away before putting his right hand against the side of my face. My lips parted slowly, and putting my heart on the line, I leaned forward quickly, pressing them against his. 

He froze for a split second, as if he was unsure of what he should do, but then, his arms wrapped around me and he deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to him and caressing my face.

“You told me before, when we were too drunk, that you didn’t want to do anything untoward while we were in that state. However, you told me that if, when sober, I should feel the same, we could—”

“Do you?” I interrupted impatiently, biting my lip nervously. He let out a low chuckle, leaned forward, and kissed me softly.

“それは (y/n) に何を伝えますか？ _What does that tell you?”_ he asked snarkily, grinning brightly. 

I smiled too and murmured back, “うるさい。もうキスして。。。 _Shut up. Kiss me already...”_ He laughed and his lips parted once more, eagerly inviting my own to meet them. We pulled each other in close, our bodies beginning to touch as we explored each other. 

His hands began to move down my back and I pressed my chest against his, yearning for him. Even so, a feeling in the back of my mind was tugging at me.

“Wait,” I interrupted, forcing myself to pull out of the kiss, breathing heavily.

“What is it?” Hanzo asked with a touch of frustration in his voice as he pressed his forehead against mine, his sides heaving as he struggled to regain control.

“There is so much that hasn’t been explained. I... I don’t want to get hurt again,” I admitted. Hanzo let out a low hum of understanding and raised his head to look into my eyes.

“Then, I shall explain whatever you would like to know.”

I smiled and first asked him, “Okay, then why did you pull away from me that day I stopped the argument between you and Genji? I was leading you to the dining area and you pulled away from me and left me standing there while you walked on ahead.”

“I... was afraid,” he confessed, bowing his head. “You were getting close to me and I was not sure that I deserved to have someone so amazing in my life. Plus, I did not know how to react, so my first instinct was to scare you off. Later on, Genji and McCree both approached me and talked me into giving this a chance.”

He scoffed and smiled as he muttered, “Meddling fools.” I laughed loudly and stared at him with calm, patient eyes.

“Alright then, next question: why did you refuse me the day after our drunken dancing? I wanted you, and it looked as though you wanted me too...” I pointed out.

“I did... but I have this a rule when it comes to training. I don’t believe in doing anything... unscrupulous inside of the dojo. It is for training only,” he explained sternly.

“But that is also _my_ dojo, is it not?” I countered with a sly smile.

“ _Your_ dojo?”

“Yes, I teach you swimming there.” He put a hand on his goatee and stroked it deep in thought.

“I suppose you are right,” he conceded.

“And I do not have any sort of rules against fooling around in _my_ dojo.” Hanzo let out what I thought was a snort of contempt, but then a sincere laugh erupted from him.

“Very well,” he bellowed, pulling me into him and stroking the short, chopped layers of hair on my head. “Is there anything else you wanted clarified for you?”

“Just one last thing,” I told him. My heart began to ache once more as I remembered his biting words to me.

_“It is of no consequence to me what goes on in your personal life...”_

I frowned and repeated it back to him. 

He eyed me sadly, mirroring the look in my own eyes, and explained, “It was... rude and foolish of me, but... I told you before how I tried to distance myself from you since I knew we would have to fight each other. I was afraid that one of us would unintentionally throw the fight for the other.”

My eyes widened in shock. “D-did you...?” I demanded.

“Absolutely not!” he exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at me. Then, he cast his gaze downward. “I actually went as hard on you as was possible without posing a threat to your life. The truth about that match was that you were never supposed to win it. I was supposed to teach you the lesson of admitting defeat in battle and regrouping. I lost because of my own hubris. You won with your true skill.”

My breath caught in my throat.

_That’s why Angela and everyone else reacted like that. They were shocked because I wasn’t supposed to win..._

I stared at Hanzo’s face. He was kneeling in front of me on the bed with his hands balled into fists on his lap, and his face was regretful and cast downwards as if deep in thought. Then, I smiled as I realised how difficult this must have been for him. I raised his chin up and stared into his eyes for a moment before drawing him in for a deep kiss.

“Thank you for telling me all of this,” I murmured into his ear, giggling as I felt a shudder go through him. “Really though, thank you. I know how much courage it takes to fight yourself.”

A genuine smile slid across his face, but rather than saying anything, he scanned my face and ran his hand along the side of my cheek. He clicked his tongue sympathetically as he ran a finger along my cheek, and I winced as he touched a tender spot on it. I touched it myself and realised that was where Hana had shot me with her gun.

“Oh yeah, I took a bullet from Hana earlier. It’s nothing though, really it—” I broke off as Hanzo leaned in and kissed it gently, making my heart flutter in my chest as I smiled brightly. He pulled back and stared into my eyes. In that moment, the connection between us was so deep that I couldn’t even begin to put it into words.

As our lips finally found each other again, we kissed deeper as well, searching every inch of the other person and trying to learn them. I broke out of the kiss and trailed it around the left side of his face to his ear, biting it roughly. A low groan escaped him, and I gasped with delight as he threw me beneath him on the bed and kissed me roughly on my neck.

I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and began to kiss his own neck gently around the bruise where I had hurt him.

“I’m sorry...” I murmured as I continued to kiss him there. He pulled away from me, sitting up slightly with a thoughtful, calculating look on his face.

“Then,” he began, smiling slyly down at me, “perhaps you would let me return the favour?” His hand came down against my throat and put a very small amount of pressure on it. As I flinched in shock, he quickly withdrew his hand and apologised in Japanese.

I sighed, put his hand back around my throat, and declared, “Only if I can get you back in return.” He smiled at me, but before he began, I raised one hand. “I’ve never done this before, so I’m a bit scared, but I do trust you. Still, if I get too scared, I’m going to try and hit your arm to tap out. Please stop, alright?”

“I promise, I will.” He leaned down and kissed me roughly on the mouth before trailing down my neck and over to my ear, biting it hard and making me squeal. “Mm, I like that sound. I wonder if I can make you scream even louder for me.”

He teased me ruthlessly by biting various parts of me so suddenly that I’d thrust against him or let out a moan. A low chuckle emanated from him and I became fed up with being toyed with. I thrust my hips against his and rolled him over on the bed so that I was on top of him. His eyes went wide, but a bright grin of anticipation spread across his face.

I quickly relieved him of his muscle shirt and began to lick and bite various areas on his chest before centring on his nipples, one by one. As I slowly dipped my head down towards his left nipple, I kept my eyes trained on him, never leaving his face as I sucked it roughly. A blush spread across his cheeks, but as I bit him, he let out a grunt of pleasure and grabbed my hair in his hand.

I froze for a second as I remembered the way he grabbed my hair back in the training room. Hanzo seemed to notice my hesitation, as his eyes met mine and his grip loosened, but I then began to go lower down his body and smiled at him, letting him know it was alright. He grinned hazily as I began to lick and suck on his inner thighs teasingly, stopping at the edge of his ass cheeks on each side.

I could see a bulge in his shorts now and I giggled, reaching a hand inside to toy with him a bit while I pressed my lips against his. His warm, strong hands wrapped around me and my Pyjama shirt was flipped over my head and pulled off me, along with my bra. I gasped as he began to toy with my breasts, moaning lightly as he pinched and gently twisted my nipples. Then, he began to snake his hand down into my pants and rub circles on my clit.

A loud cry of pleasure escaped me, and I released my hand from his dick out of shock. 

He laughed proudly and demanded, “Is it just that good?”

“Don’t let... ah... your hubris get to you, but... yes! Ah!” Another moan escaped me as he put his fingers beneath my panties and began to rub me more roughly. “I haven’t been with anyone... ung... in a long while.” I admitted.

“Well, then allow me to make this a good experience for you," he murmured, his voice husky in my ear just before he bit it roughly. I moaned and he sped up the pace on my clit, making my legs shake with pleasure. My breathing sped up more and more and my heart pounded as the pleasure began to overwhelm me.

“Ah, Hanzo! Mm! I’m... I’m...! Cumming!” I cried out as my legs spasmed and warm liquid flowed out of me. Hanzo withdrew his hand and laughed in shock. “I’m... sorry I didn’t realise I would squirt like that I—”

“Why are you apologizing?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes with a devilish smile on his face.

“Huh?”

“Aren’t there better things you could be doing with your mouth right now?” he suggested.

I nodded, matching his smile, and threw off my PJ pants and underwear before slowly sliding his own shorts and briefs off of him. Then, I began to toy with myself, getting my fingers nice and slick before I reached over and rubbed his cock.

In terms of size, it was average, but in terms of girth, it would be the biggest I had ever taken. After rubbing him for awhile longer, I leaned down and began to use my mouth. I started at his tip and smiled at the hazy look that began to grow in his eyes. He was clearly enjoying himself.

As his dick twitched a few times in pleasure, I began to take him deeper and deeper into my mouth, eliciting several moans from him. I was surprised to hear such noises coming from him. I wanted to explore him further and please him well, so I turned myself around so that we would be 69-ing and shoved the ring and middle fingers of my right hand into my vag. When they were nice and wet, I kept sucking his dick, but slowly and steadily inserted my fingers into his ass, searching around for his prostate.

His legs trembled as I found it and a shudder tore through him. I sucked on him more quickly and pulsed my fingers inside of him, going faster and faster as I felt him nearing his orgasm. He moaned loudly and shoved two fingers into me, gyrating them wildly like a vibrator. I let out a scream of pleasure, muffled by his dick in my mouth, and went slightly slower, letting his pleasure build alongside my own.

Eventually, both of our breathing sped up and I couldn’t help the moans that escaped me.

“I... I am almost... there!” Hanzo barely managed. I sucked on him harder, using my left hand to rub him along with my mouth while my right hand still worked on his prostate relentlessly. My legs twitched as a spasm ran through me and I let out a series of moans and squeals as I began to orgasm.

He kept moving his fingers inside of me and finally, after two shuddering breaths, a low groan escaped him, and he moaned and panted. Warm cum pumped out of him steadily and I swallowed it down, continuing to give him oral until he shrunk once more. 

Hanzo turned me around and rolled over on top of me, kissing me softly and grinding his body against mine. He trailed off from my mouth and began kissing me across my neck, down to my collarbone, and even further still until he came to my breasts. I let out a light moan as he began to suck and bite one of them, all the while toying with the nipple of the other.

His hands then began running along my ribs until they found purchase on my hips. He pulled his torso against mine, and I could feel him growing aroused once more. I kissed him harder and then pulled back quickly, teasing him just as our lips were about to crash into each other once more. He opened his eyes and gazed into mine curiously.

“I want you, Hanzo,” I demanded. This time, I wasn’t asking. I knew he wanted me too, and I was done being coy and reserved. 

He gaped and moved closer to me, his face nearing mine once more, only instead of kissing me, he leaned in close to my left ear and murmured, “My shorts. In the left pocket.” I tilted my head to the side, grinning slightly as I teased him once more with an almost-kiss and reached over the side of the bed to grab his shorts.

I pulled a condom out of the left pocket and smiled over at him as I slowly unwrapped it. He gently took it from me and went to place it over his erection, but stopped as he realised he wasn’t fully aroused. I grinned at him knowingly and pressed my lips against his, climbing into his lap and grinding against him.

Our tongues slid gracefully against each other and I giggled at the feeling as it made my heart pound harder in my chest.

“What is it?” Hanzo asked, a light chuckle emanating from him as well. I shook my head, but he quickly grabbed my chin with a daring smile on his face and added, “I have ways of making you talk.”

“Oh really? Well, I guess you will have to torture me, then,” I bit back playfully, biting my lip. He placed the condom on the nightstand and tackled me backwards onto the bed, grabbing both of my hands in one of his and tickling me ruthlessly.

As I squealed and laughed, my body flailing helplessly against his, he let out a dark chuckle and then stopped.

“Will you talk, or need I torture you further?” he joked.

“Oh please,” I goaded him, “do you really even know how to torture people?” Hanzo’s eyes grew dark for a moment and the light in them disappeared as though he was remembering something from his past. I remembered what Genji had told me about the Shimada family.

_“My family, the Shimada Clan, is very complicated. It is an organisation of assassins,” the ninja had revealed._

_Oh no, maybe he really can torture people? I shouldn’t have brought that up!_ I dismayed. _I can save this!_

I quickly grinned, yanked my arms from his while he was distracted in his thoughts, and pulled him against me.

“Well, I like this torture so far, and I don’t think I’m close to breaking just yet,” I teased him, widening my legs and rolling my hips against his crotch once with a devilish grin. “Are you going to break me, or are you giving up?” He broke out of his thoughts and smiled back at me before tickling me ruthlessly and burying his face into my chest at the same time.

His deep, gruff laughter rumbled through me and finally, I shouted, “Okay, stop, I’ll tell you! Ah! Hanzo!” 

He pulled me close against him and murmured into my ear, “Tell me what you were laughing about.” 

I sighed contently at his warm body against mine and then turned around to face him, running a hand across his face before admitting, “You’re a really good kisser, you know... I laughed because I was enjoying it so much.”

“So... you are saying that I torture you with my tongue then?” I fell backwards against the bed laughing so hard that tears began to form in my eyes. He hovered over me and his lips parted as he neared me. “The question is, should I continue, or is it too much for you?” I pulled him close and pressed my lips against his.

“I would gladly take this torture and more from you.” I kissed him more fervently now and his hand wrapped around the back of my head. “Don’t stop,” I breathed between kisses. He yanked my body against his with a snap and I let out a gasp before taking the rubber band out of his hair and letting it fall around his shoulders.

He reached over and grabbed the condom from the bedside and slid it over his erection, kissing me in the same manner as before, and then he drew me in and laid me beneath him. As he slowly entered me, I moaned with excitement and wrapped my arms around his back. He thrust in and out of me in a slow and steady rhythm, only speeding up when he heard me let out another moan and felt my nails sink into his back.

Then, his hand wrapped around my throat and stayed there. His eyes focused on mine, and in them was a question.

 _He’s asking permission..._ I realised. I smiled, nodded, and took a deep breath. He sped up a little more, his eyes becoming hazy with lust, and his hand tightened around my throat, choking me. I closed my eyes as Hanzo leaned down and kissed me deeply. I held my breath for about twenty seconds, but with my heart pounding and me nearing my orgasm, my body was craving air. 

I struggled to breathe, instinctively becoming frightened, and as I looked up into Hanzo’s dark brown eyes, they seemed intensely threatening. It was clear to me that he was the predator and I was his prey. I had never seen his eyes like this before. They were cold and empty, and even though he was looking down at me, he seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

 _He’s an assassin... so what if the thrill of the kill is getting to him and he can’t control himself? Oh god... he’s... actually going to kill me!_ My mind began to spiral now as panic tore through me. I was almost at my orgasm and my heart was threatening to break out of my chest. 

I grabbed his hands that were around my throat and pulled at them in terror, though I didn’t tap on them. His eyes suddenly focused back on mine and they almost looked sad. 

They seemed to be asking, “Don’t you trust me?” His eyes left mine as he let out a sigh and began going slower, his hand loosening around my neck. I quickly grabbed it with both hands and pressed it to me, keeping it there and his head swivelled back around; his eyes locking onto mine eagerly, questioning me.

“Hanzo,” I mouthed, watching his eyes light up as I thrust my hips upwards roughly into his, “I want you.” He began to speed up, going as fast as he could now and I thrust my hips in time with his, struggling against the building pressure in my head and the slight pain in my lungs.

“Almost...” he groaned huskily as he rammed into me. His other hand flew down to my clit and began rubbing me roughly. I tilted my head slightly backwards as the pleasure began to take hold of me.

My vision was turning black now, but as scared as I was, I decided to put my life into his hands. As Hanzo let out a low moan and several deep groans of pleasure, my insides began to spasm and a powerful orgasm rippled through me.

Hanzo’s hand loosened around my throat and as I took in a deep breath of air, the pleasure increased. My vision instantly cleared and everything seemed so much brighter than before. My senses felt overwhelmed and I let out a loud, high-pitched squeal before wrapping my arms around Hanzo’s back and moving with him. He kept going for as long as he could, relishing in the sounds I was making, no doubt, and then he collapsed on the bed beside me.

We lay there for a long while, listening to nothing save the sound of our laboured breathing. Finally, when we had settled down, I curled up into Hanzo, who wrapped one sleek, muscular arm around me and sighed deeply. I looked up at him in confusion and noticed he had a strange look on his face.

“What is it?” I demanded worriedly.

“Towards the end, you looked... truly terrified of me. I have seen that many times before. It is the look of someone begging for their life. Why... did you have that with me?” he asked despondently. I bowed my head regretfully and wrapped my arms around him to hold him close.

“It’s... It’s because... because I judged you before I got to know you. I didn’t mean to, it just sort of happened. Back when I first got here, Genji... told me how he came to be a cyborg and I—”

“You thought me to be a mindless murderer.” He pulled away from me and began getting dressed, his eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed in frustration.

“No! But... I thought that since you are an assassin, maybe the feeling you get when you kill someone, the... rush... would overwhelm you and you might not be able to stop yourself...”

He scoffed and as he got his shorts on, he whirled around to face me, glaring at me with an annoyed expression on his face.

“You think... that I get a rush whenever I kill someone?” he demanded in a low tone of voice that sounded like a veiled threat. I swallowed hard.

“I mean... yes. I can’t understand why anyone would want to do that sort of thing if they didn’t get some sort of enjoyment from it! You’re taking a life!” He held up two fingers.

“Two reasons. Firstly, the pay is good. Secondly, the people I kill are all miserable excuses for Human Beings that are above the law, but certainly not above me! I do not get a rush from my job; I see it as a duty and that is all! Just because I am an assassin does not mean I am a psychopath!”

Hanzo tied his hair back up with his rubber band and headed for the door with a scowl on his face.

“Hanzo, please... Wait!” I begged him. He froze at the door for a few moments with his hand on the knob.

Then, a sorrowful voice emanated from him as he stated, “it seems there will never be redemption for me,” and he walked out the door. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! Hope you all enjoy and that it's a nice little break from the world right now. Stay safe out there! ^_^

I stared after Hanzo guiltily, unsure of what to do. I felt terrible. I had been ignorant and I hadn't trusted him. The Hanzo I knew would never hurt me, but I chose to be afraid and doubt him.

I paced for a moment, thinking about what I should do to fix things.

_On the one hand, if I follow after him and go to his room, maybe he would let me comfort him. On the other hand though, he could get pissed off and I could just be serving to aggravate things further._

I sighed deeply, and nodded as I knew what I needed to do.

 _Either way, he shouldn’t be alone feeling like this..._ I rationalized as I slowly got dressed and started after him.

I knocked on his door, but there was no answer. I sighed and tried to open his door, and to my surprise I was able to walk right in.

“Hanzo?” I called out. Then, I became aware of the shower running. I took a deep breath and walked into his bathroom to find him standing there with his eyes closed, letting the hot water fall against his skin, much as I had earlier that day.

He had a sorrowful expression on his face that broke my heart.

_He must think I see him as a monster... I need to let him know that's not the case._

I took my clothes off and set them on the counter top next to his before I stepped into the shower with him and slowly pressed my body against his, keeping my arms to my side, but leaning my head against the back of his muscular shoulder. He flinched at the feeling of my skin against his before a sigh ran through him.

“You got what you wanted, did you not?” he growled, refusing to turn and look at me. He crossed his arms and straightened himself up, though his eyes were still closed.

“No, I didn’t,” I admitted, “not everything I wanted.” I wrapped my arms around him. He suddenly pulled them off and turned around with angry, fiery eyes before he shoved me up against the side of the shower and bared his teeth at me.

“Are you here to throw more accusations at me? Or better still, perhaps you are here to tell me that I am no better than the people I mark for death?”

I shook my head sadly and he continued saying, “Did my brother happen to tell you that I used to be the greatest swordsman in our clan? Did he tell you that after I killed him, I swore to never again wield another sword? Did he tell you that I have never forgotten what I did to him and that the guilt still eats away at my soul? Did he tell you that every time I see his face, I think about the crime I committed and everything I robbed him of in this life?!”

My lips trembled and tears began to pool in my eyes, but regardless, I stood up tall and pushed him back until we were in the middle of the shower.

“He didn’t tell me any of that,” I admitted shakily, staring deeply into his eyes, “but that’s why I’m here now. Please... talk to me. I will listen to every word and not judge you as I did before. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you feel unwelcome or as though I was putting you on trial, I'm just a fool who knows nothing about life.”

“Also...” I bit my lip and hung my head in embarrassment, shuffling my feet in the puddles of water below me, “fucking you was fun, but that wasn’t all I wanted. I’d... like to connect with you and really get to know you. I want _you,_ Hanzo.”

Everything was quiet for several moments, and when I dared to look up at Hanzo’s face, the expression on it was neutral and emotionless, as though he was trying to mask how he truly felt.

“Please...” I begged him, hugging him tightly, “don’t shut me out. Let me know how you really feel.”

He stiffened his body as if he was going to keep up his facade of neutrality, but then a deep sigh escaped him.

“Lonely... and tired,” he admitted evenly. I hugged him even more tightly, pressing myself against him.

“I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere,” I promised.

He made a noise that sounded like a scoff, but as soon as he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back, I knew it had been a small sigh of relief. I stepped back from him, smiling warmly into his wary brown eyes and grabbed a bottle of shampoo before I leaned myself up against the side of the tub and sat down.

He stared at me for a few moments in confusion before I beckoned him with one hand, patting the tub space just between my legs. He sighed and sat down just in front of me, allowing me to gather shampoo into my hands and lather it into his hair. 

“You know,” I began softly, “that moment awhile back when I first knocked on your door and you let me stay with you because I was afraid, I really _was_ scared of you. I thought you might’ve been evil, but then I realised how kind you were. I trusted you almost immediately.”

I chuckled lightly.

“I lived a very sheltered life. Even now, I still don’t know much of anything about what it is to be an assassin or a soldier or... anything really. I’m... not much of anything myself... You though, you’re an archer, an assassin, and now an awesome swimmer!”

Hanzo let out a low chuckle and I finished saying, “I hope that one day, I can be as amazing as you are.”

Hanzo rose and turned to face me, rinsing the soap from his hair as he admitted, “Being...amazing... comes with a heavy burden. I would give anything to just be normal. Sadly, it is not the lot I drew in this life.”

He passed me the conditioner, but this time, he lifted me up and sat me in his lap so he could wash my hair the same as I did his.

I leaned back against him and ran my conditioner-soaked hands through his hair, rubbing into his scalp as he lathered the soap into mine. I sighed contently and closed my eyes.

“Thank you,” I murmured softly.

“For what?” he demanded.

“For being patient with me and letting me understand you. I... I was so afraid I had pushed you away. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I’m... really glad you care about me now, given that when I first got here, you didn’t want me to stay.”

“What?”

“That day when Angela took the vote about whether I should be allowed to stay or not, I remember you voted for me to leave. I know you probably didn’t want some foolish civilian staying with you, but—”

“No, that was not it at all,” Hanzo said with a slight groan as he helped me to my feet to let me rinse out my hair. As I rinsed mine, I continued to spread his conditioner to the areas I couldn’t reach from the backwards angle of my arms.

“The truth was that... I only voted that way because McCree talked to me about it and made a pretty convincing point about you potentially being a spy...” He scoffed loudly and shook his head. 

“I guess looking back, we both judged each other... It wasn’t until I first watched you swim in the cave that one day that I knew you were no such thing. You were so very joyful, graceful, and carefree... I was completely—” He cut off quickly as he turned around and met my curious, eager gaze. “Anyways, I knew you weren’t a spy.”

I stared at him in disbelief and he twirled his finger around, demanding that he lather the conditioner into my hair. I obeyed and he rubbed my scalp so soothingly this time that I almost couldn’t manage words.

 _You charming, tricky, bastard!_ I thought to myself jokingly. 

Even so, I managed a weak, “So... what were you going to say, Hanzo?”

“Hmm?” He decided to play dumb.

“You started to say, regarding me and my swimming, that you were ‘completely...’ what, exactly?”

“Hm! I’ll never talk,” he said teasingly, turning his head slightly with a grin on his face as his eyes narrowed. The playful fire in his eyes had returned, but even so, I steeled my face, leaving no trace of playfulness in it as I twisted him around to face me and shoved him up against the side of the shower.

He gaped at me in shock until I leaned into his ear and whispered, “I have ways of making you talk, Hanzo.” He tilted his head back and let out a low, rumbling laugh before centring his gaze back on me; his eyes glittered with anticipation as if he was inviting the challenge.

“Do your worst,” he commanded me. In an instant, I crashed against him, kissing him roughly and delving farther into him than before while both of my hands ran up his chest and around his shoulders, connecting just behind his neck to hold myself there. His hands fell down and wrapped around my waist, pulling my torso against his. 

We kissed deeply like that for several minutes, until he pulled away, panting, “That... will not make me talk, but... it will make me... do other things.” He pulled my crotch against his and I could feel his erection against my abdomen.

“Well, then I guess I’ll never get you to talk,” I joked as I kissed him fervently once again, "shame though. I would have loved to hear what you had to say." I could feel his breathy chuckle on my face as he kissed me back, pulling me against him and getting me ready for one more moment of torrid, unbridled, lovemaking.

When we had finished, we rinsed out the conditioner in our hair, finished washing ourselves off, and headed to bed. I was awaked by Hanzo’s hand on my shoulder.

“It is time for dinner, (y/n),” he murmured softly, pressing his lips against my forehead. I grabbed him to me and pulled him back into bed, snuggling against him.

“Mm, do we have to? You’re so comfortable. I like having you here with me…” I complained. He chuckled lightly and stroked my face with one hand.

“Need I remind you that this is _my_ bed?” he bit back. I groaned and pulled the covers over me. He pulled them back off again.

“You’re just going to keep bugging me until we go to dinner, aren’t you?” 

“That is the plan, yes. Besides, we need to eat something,” he reasoned with me. "We have not eaten since breakfast, and you are injured. You need your strength."

I complained once more, but pried myself out of bed anyways, heading back into my room so I could get changed into a fresh set of clothes. As I left Hanzo’s room, I eyed McCree across the hallway. 

I smiled at him and waved, but he scowled back at me and turned away, continuing on down the hallway.

 _Is he… upset with me? About what?_ I wondered as I entered my bedroom. I fed Luna and got dressed into a nice two-piece outfit, a red blouse with a black skirt. I threw on a pair of black and white Converse and smiled at myself in the mirror. Then, I frowned as I saw my hair.

_I don’t want them to see me like this…_

I looked around the room frantically for some sort of hat and found a beanie. I put on my makeup and then jammed the beanie over my head before walking out to stand next to Hanzo.

“McCree looked really mad at me just now. Did… something happen?” I asked quietly.

“I am not sure… perhaps he is not mad at you per say, but rather at something else and you happened to be walking by,” Hanzo suggested. I bit my lip and squeezed his arm tightly, hoping he was right. As we walked into the dining hall together, all eyes were on us. Fear gripped me, and Hanzo’s arm was the only thing that kept me from fleeing the room immediately.

Even so, when I eyed the ginger-haired shieldmaiden at the dining table, I knew I had to make amends. I walked over to Brigitte, who was chatting with Hana and Angela at the table and began to apologize.

“Save it, (y/n). I don’t even want to hear it,” she growled, turning back to her food. I gaped at her in confusion and began to back away slowly.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you…” I said, clutching my hands against my chest.

“I’m angry right now, really angry… You beat me fair and square, so why couldn’t you pass the rest of the exam without cheating?!” She bellowed, rising up from her seat and towering over me. I backed away further.

I looked over at Hana, who bowed her head and glared down at the floor.

“I’m a gamer, (y/n)… you know how I feel about cheating,” she declared.

“I… didn’t cheat. I just fought hard…” I protested.

“Yeah, real convenient too that you come sneakin’ on outta Hanzo’s bedroom right after the… _fight_ ya’ll had too!” McCree spat from across the room. I blushed at McCree’s blunt remark and spun around to face him.

“McCree... No, that's not... H-he came over to my room to treat my arrow wound and we just sort of… came together,” I admitted, bowing my head. The pain in my shoulder had started up and I put a hand against it as it throbbed and burned.

“Yeah, I bet you both did. Tell me though, was that before, or after you planned out how to cheat?”

“Neither,” Hanzo growled, stepping forward beside me, “you are out of line, McCree.” His eyes narrowed and his lip curled into a snarl as he stared the cowboy down.

“I informed her that she wasn’t supposed to win this fight while I treated her arrow wound. She was not aware of this. She did not cheat, and neither did I. She found a good opening as we fought and took it. My pride got the best of me and I was unprepared for her retaliation.”

“Are you sure you’re not just smitten with her, Hanzo? After all you’ve told me about her and the way you’ve been pinin’ after her, it’s real suspicious,” he suggested.

“Hmph! Apparently, I have confided in you far too much. I thought we were friends, but it appears as though that was nothing but a convenience for you,” Hanzo said, bowing his head low. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of sadness in his eyes before he looked over at his brother in determination.

“Genji, what say you? You know that I would never forsake my honor!” Genji sighed deeply and shook his head.

“While I know that to be true, brother, we sometimes do foolish things while we are in love. Whether you know it or not, you may have… helped her without realizing it.” My blush deepened.

_In… love…?_

“ばかばかし! _Ridiculous!”_ Hanzo spat, as I stared around at the unfamiliar room. Everywhere I looked, angry or disapproving gazes met me. Even Lena, who was usually extremely supportive, wore a saddened expression on her face, and Reinhardt wouldn’t even look at me.

“Then, why don’t you prove it? (Y/n) can fight me in the training room tonight with hand-to-hand combat and we’ll settle this once and for all,” McCree bellowed.

“And you would allow this Genji?” Hanzo demanded.

“I see nothing wrong with it. You and McCree are of similar skill levels. I say it is fair.”

I backed up slowly, shaking my head as I tried to find a way out of the now claustrophobic room.

“No,” I objected, “I-I don’t want to.”

“See? All the proof we need right here! And just why the hell not?!”

“Watch your tone with her, McCree, or I will correct it for you!” Hanzo snarled.

“I’d like to see you try!” McCree said, stepping forward until he was almost directly in front of Hanzo.

“Enough!” I cried, hunching over slightly as the pain in my shoulder worsened. Everyone turned to face me. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt by me, or for me either! I’m done fighting with my friends! I already hurt Brigitte and Hana, and I even left that mark on Hanzo’s neck where I choked him! Even if you all hate me and don’t consider me to be a part of this family anymore… not that I ever really was to begin with... I don’t want to fight anyone else unless they’re Talon, or a total shitbag!”

I started out the hallway and hit my shoulder on the metal fixture against the wall. It reminded me of the first time I didn’t feel welcome at Overwatch, when McCree threatened me with his gun.

But this time was much worse. I was being rejected by all of the people I had come to know and love as my friends, and as much as it hurt physically to hit the wall fixture, the bigger wound was the one in my heart. I turned and kicked the wall hard, letting out an angry, pained, growl.

_Was it all for nothing? I’m back at square one again… The distrust in their eyes, the anger, the uncertainty… I don’t belong. I guess I never have..._

“Agh! Who the fuck puts a fixture right there?!” I screamed as I stalked off. I could hear the sound of heels clicking behind me and I sighed, already knowing it was Dr. Ziegler coming after me.

“(Y/n), at least let me take a look at that shoulder, won’t you?” she called out softly. I whirled around angrily, still clutching my shoulder.

“No,” I objected. “You should know that I would never cheat, and yet you were silent while everyone else berated me and McCree aired the news about Hanzo and I getting together before I had the chance to say anything about it! No one could just be happy for us, whatever _us_ really is, and I even feel somewhat _guilty_ now of being with him! I can never just be happy here. I don't belong..."

"(Y/n)... come now, you _know_ that's not true. We all care about you." I held up a finger angrily.

"You of _all_ people do not get to say that. You didn't stand up for me back there, but you know you could have. You were there when I saved McCree. Did I need to cheat in order to do that?”

“No, you didn’t,” she admitted, bowing her head.

“Then you also know that I didn’t need to cheat today either.” I kicked the ground in annoyance and continued speaking to her. “I left the practice room earlier without saying a word because I was so afraid that I had gone too hard on my friends… I hurt Hana, I knocked Brigitte out cold, and I almost choked Hanzo to death… I thought I was a monster.”

“Then, Hanzo came to see me and he let me know that I did well, and that as hard as I went with everyone, I did what I was supposed to do. He told me he wasn’t mad at me for choking him like that and he made me feel at ease. I was so worried tonight about Hana and Brigitte, but when I found out that they were angry at me for something I didn’t even know I was being accused of, I just—”

I cut off as tears threatened to fall down my cheeks.

“The stupidest part of all was that I was actually worried about how I looked tonight. Of all things! I… miss my hair. It’s stupid, really, but I do. I didn’t want to cut it, but Hanzo had me by it and I just… reacted.” 

I took a deep breath and shook my head, pulling the beanie further over my head and dismissing anymore thoughts I had.

“Good night, Dr. Ziegler,” I murmured as I walked away.

“(Y/n), please! Your shoulder could get infected!” she pleaded with me. I sighed deeply and shook my head.

“I just want to be alone with my thoughts right now. All of my friends turned against me today and not one of them believes in me... I've worked so hard to become a member of this family, and now I know that no matter how much I yearn for it, I'll never become more than a convenience; a good little soldier for Overwatch to use whenever it deems necessary. That hurts _so_ much worse than an arrow to the shoulder.” I picked up the pace, refusing to turn around and look at her.

At first, I thought I wanted to go back to my bedroom and sulk, but then I realized that the perfect place to let off some steam was in a training room. I headed there instead and had Athena set up some targets and dummies for me. The pain in my shoulder was almost nauseating, but I stubbornly grabbed the bow and arrows off the weapon rack and began to practice my shooting.

I shot the first dummy straight through its head and moved to the second. The second one, I pegged in the heart. The third one, I hit in the throat before quick drawing and shooting it through the head. On the fourth one, I began panting heavily with exertion as the pain started really getting to me. My vision began to blur, but I blinked, shook my head, and shot the dummy through the very top of its head.

I let out a growl of frustration as I realized that wouldn’t have been fatal and nocked another arrow. My arms shook as I struggled to keep them up, and I launched another arrow, missing the dummy entirely. The bow fell from my arms and I fell to the side, clutching a nearby wooden crate to keep from falling down.

“You really should let Angela take a look at your shoulder,” Hanzo called out to me. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand up.

“I’m fine, but thank you for your concern,” I said evenly, willing myself to walk my bow back over to the weapon rack and retrieve my arrows. Hanzo watched me all the while I did this and as I went to pass him by to head back to my bedroom, he offered his hand to me.

I stared at it for a moment and then shook my head.

_I... I shouldn't be with him, should I? They didn't approve... no one was happy for me. Not a single one of them. Is it wrong? Me and him being together? It is improper? I just want to belong... somewhere..._

“I’m... I'm sorry, Hanzo… I just want to be alone right now. Too much has happened today and I’m in a lot of pain. Believe it or not, more emotional than physical pain, but both are pretty bad. Good night,” I told him, walking past him.

He stared after me and I caught a glint of hurt in his eyes as I passed by him, and could hear the worry in his voice as he echoed, "Good night."

When I got back to my room, I locked the door behind me and lay down on the bed, wincing in pain from my shoulder. Luna jumped up onto the bed and mewed softly at me, and I chuckled and pulled her into my arms.

I fell into an uneasy sleep and was awakened by a knock at the door. I yawned and glanced over at the clock by my bedside.

 _What the hell?! It’s already 3:00pm? I slept for that long?_ I thought frantically as I got out of bed. Luna, who had been sleeping comfortably at my side, mewed in protest at me leaving the bed and stretched her black, furry body out before curling up once more to sleep. Another knock sounded at the door, but I didn’t answer.

“(Y/n)… I know you said you wished to be alone, but you also need to eat,” Hanzo declared outside my door. I rested my head against the door and listened.

“I was worried when you did not come to breakfast, and I was even more worried when I did not see you in the practice cave today. I brought you lunch, and I am leaving it outside your door. Please eat something.”

As I heard his footsteps recede, I slowly opened the door and picked up the tray of food that sat there. Two turkey sandwiches and a cup of hot tea were waiting to be devoured.

 _This definitely doesn’t look like Reinhardt’s cooking… he must have made this himself…_ I realized, smiling slightly. I sat on the bed and ate one of the sandwiches, sipping the tea slowly. It was a soothing chamomile tea with honey and a hint of raspberry in it. I sighed as I finished the last of it and smiled, but as I reached over to put the cup on the nightstand, pain tore through my arm.

The mug fell out of my hand and shattered on the hard floor.

“Damn it…” I muttered in annoyance. “I’ll just leave it there…” Truth be told, I wasn’t feeling all that well that day and I really just wanted to lay in bed. I set the tray on the floor, curled up, closed my eyes, and fell back to sleep. 

I woke up, drenched with sweat, and pulled the covers off of me.

_Why is it so damn hot? Jeez…_

I looked over at the clock again. It was now eight in the morning.

_I slept for a long time… I must really be tired._

My shoulder was beginning to sting badly. I walked over to the bathroom and unwrapped my shoulder. It was very red around the entry and exit holes and it was draining a yellowish liquid. 

_Shit… I better clean this out or else it will definitely get infected!_ I quickly applied a disinfectant to the area and then some triple antibiotic ointment before I packed it and wrapped it with clean bandages. It felt a little bit better, though it was still throbbing badly.

 _Maybe I should go for a swim… the water might help soothe the area._ I sighed heavily and stared at the door sadly. As much as I wanted to go to the cave, I dreaded bumping into anyone else. After about twenty minutes of thinking about what to do, I decided to sneak out.

I put on a dark-coloured skin-tight body suit that Hana had gotten me and crept out of my room, staying in the shadows and hiding from anyone who walked by.

I finally made it to the hangar and began scaling across the cliff face with great difficulty, having to take more than a few breaks because of my shoulder. As my feet touched down on the floor of the cave, I smiled victoriously. Even so, I was seriously winded and took a few moments to catch my breath.

I stared at the beautiful blue light of the algae in the cave and grinned before taking off my shoes and sliding into the water. It was the perfect temperature and I floated in it for awhile, staring up at the glowing ceiling thoughtfully.

_Well, even if the world hates me, at least I’ll have this place. Though, I suppose it isn’t fair to anyone at Overwatch that I’m basically freeloading… I’m eating their food and staying here without even being a real member… Maybe I should leave. That might be best anyways. Hanzo is the only one who wants me here, but he’s barely a member of Overwatch himself. I don’t want to get him into any trouble because of me…_

As I finished my thoughts, I stopped floating and began to swim, first doing laps and then practicing various strokes. I dove deep into the lake and relished in the glowing blue vortex that I made as I swirled around playfully in the water. No matter what sort of mood I was in, swimming always cheered me up.

I noticed myself getting winded once more and quickly swam over to the nearest rocky edge of the cave, pulling myself out of the water and leaning my back against the side of the cave wall. As I stared at the water from the side I was at, a humorous thought came to my mind.

_This is the exact spot where Hanzo hid that day when he was watching me swim. Or rather, where he tried to hide before I pulled him into the water. Good times…_

My lips trembled and tears welled up in my eyes and slid down my cheeks.

_I hope… that there will be more good times… with everyone._

My eyelids grew heavy and I yawned loudly.

_Maybe after this nap… I’ll try to talk to my friends one more time. Maybe… we can make more good times…_

I shuddered awake as a shiver ran through me. The suit Hana had given me was a dry suit, so I wasn’t wet anywhere except for my hair. I went to stretch and realized that I couldn’t lift my right arm up past my armpit height. My shoulder was also throbbing more painfully than ever before.

My heart pounded in my chest as panic set in. There was no way I could get back up to the hangar from here with my shoulder in this condition. Moreover, as I tried to stand up, I realized that I had no energy to do so.

 _Lethargy, throbbing pain, fever, and discharge. I have an infection, alright… and no way to call for help._ I tried to manage a scream, but all I could get out was a low, weak cry that carried no weight or distance. My head began to hurt, and I felt more and more feverish with each passing moment. I bowed my head in despair and resigned myself to my fate.

_Maybe I should have let Angela look at my shoulder. I wouldn’t be in this mess then, but at the same time, who will miss me? Hanzo? We only just had our first fling. He will find another, surely. No one, not even Reinhardt, stood up for me or believed in me that I was telling the truth. Let me fade away…_

I closed my eyes once more, and this time, I dreamt that Hanzo came to get me with golden, glowing angel wings. He pointed at me with a blurry finger and made me glow brightly before he lifted me into his arms and flew me away into the night sky.

 _Hahaha... my angel..._ I thought to myself comically. Then, sorrow filled me as I remembered how he saved me before from hypothermia. _I don't think I will be so lucky this time... Goodbye Hanzo. I'm so sorry..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! I hope you all enjoy :)

I slowly blinked open my eyes as a beeping noise reached my ears. I was all too familiar with that noise: the sound of a hospital heart monitor. I let out a deep sigh and scanned the room to find myself in the medical bay, dressed in a hospital gown.

On my right side, Hanzo was sitting in a chair, but he had fallen asleep some time ago. Dr. Ziegler was typing at her computer, no doubt researching some new data she’d come across. She suddenly let out a sound of recognition and turned around. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, letting my chest rise and fall slowly to mimic that. 

A laugh escaped her, much to my surprise, and she neared my bedside.

“Oh? So, I was wrong? She hasn’t woken up yet?” she asked softly. Then, she kept speaking softly in front of me. “Well, if she had, I would have told her that everyone was worried sick about her.”

“Why?” I asked her, peeking up at her with one eye open. She sighed and a wave of sadness washed over her.

“Well, because she has friends who love her and care deeply about her.”

“Friends who don’t even check on me? Hanzo was the only one who came to see me, though I didn’t even want to see anyone yesterday…”

“Yesterday?” Angela asked in confusion. “No, (y/n), it has been three and a half days since the trials. Hanzo noticed that you hadn’t eaten anything he brought you since that first day, so he came and got me. When we entered your room and found you missing, the broken glass on the floor, and a hungry cat, we knew something was wrong.”

“We looked everywhere for you, and when we didn’t find you, Hanzo said he knew where to look but that we would need my Valkyrie suit to get there. He showed me where your secret training cave was and we found you lying against a rock, delirious with fever.”

_Ha! So Hanzo really was my angel after all? I'm so stupid though. He is always having to come to my rescue. Him and Doctor Ziegler both..._

“Well, thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate it. I'm sorry I know it’s a pain—” I began but was quickly interrupted by the doctor’s incredulous voice.

“A pain? No, it isn’t. You have been a part of Overwatch since the day you saved Jesse’s life. You have proved yourself time and time again. You have listened to Reinhardt’s stories, stood up to McCree, put both Genji and Hanzo in their places, trained hard, and learned much from many of us. You’ve become part of our family.”

“But, several days ago… everyone was mad at me. I felt like no one wanted me here, and no one bothered to talk to me or visit me except for Hanzo.”

“You’re wrong about that. Brigitte and Hana came to me that first day after the trials when you didn’t come down for breakfast or lunch. They were very worried about you. I told them you needed time, but I sent Hanzo to give you lunch. He insisted on making it himself.” She smiled in reminiscence of the moment. 

“You see, (y/n), families argue and fight, and they sometimes even come to blows, but in the end, they know just how much they love each other. We all love you.”

“She’s right!” Lena suddenly said as she entered the room. “Reinhardt and I saw how everyone was doubting you, so we talked about it, and I decided to leave and go back over the Training Room footage with Athena. She informed me that based on the body language and facial expressions of both you and Hanzo, the fight you had was completely authentic.”

Lena sat down at my bedside, propping her feet up on the end of my hospital bed, her spikey brown hair waving as she leaned backwards. “Everyone else should be here soon, too!”

Right on cue, Brigitte, Hana, Genji, and Reinhardt all piled into the room. Reinhardt was about to walk in when he reached out into the hallway and grabbed a reluctant McCree by the arm, shoving him inside.

“Get in there!” Reinhardt bellowed.

“Yeah, yeah…” McCree growled, shoving his hands into his pockets. Hana and Brigitte rushed over to my side. Hana threw her arms around my neck and apologized profusely.

“I’m so sorry (y/n)! I never should have doubted you!” she exclaimed sadly. Next to her Brigitte stared down at the ground in embarrassment.

“I never should have doubted you either. You’re a great warrior, and I think… looking back on my actions, I was actually just angry with myself for being beaten by you. I’m really sorry for how I behaved towards you. It was unbefitting of a knight, let alone a squire,” she apologized, hanging her head sadly.

Angela smiled down at me and I sighed, nodding at her before I turned my head to look back over at Hana and Brigitte.

“No worries. Families fight sometimes, yeah? But it doesn’t mean they aren’t family anymore… right…?” I ventured hesitantly.

“Of course,” Reinhardt bellowed suddenly, crossing his arms, “you will always be a part of our family, (y/n)!” I smiled at the large man and then looked over at McCree, who trudged over to my bedside reluctantly.

He scratched his head in embarrassment and started, “I reckon I’ve been a bit… harsh towards you and Hanzo…”

“I reckon you’ve been a bit of an asshole,” I bit back, crossing my arms and raising one eyebrow. He sighed and nodded. 

“Yeah, you’re right… I said a lot of things concernin’ ya’ll that I would’ve done well to keep my mouth shut about. I didn’t mean to… well… I guess that’s a lie because in the moment, I did, but what I mean to say is that—”

“Shut up and get over here. You’re forgiven, already,” I interrupted him, opening my arms to receive him for a hug. I smiled as his smokey scent enveloped me, and as he pulled out of the hug, his smile back filled me with warmth.

Hanzo stirred awake and frowned at the sight of everyone else around me.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” I greeted him. He let out a low grunt in acknowledgement before glaring at McCree. McCree bowed his head low and looked away.

“Hanzo… I’m… sorry. You were right, I was hella outta line the other day and I really screwed up with the both of ya’ll,” the cowboy admitted, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

“Hmph! Well, I will not say that it is alright because it is not, but… I suppose I do forgive you,” Hanzo said sternly, fixing his hair, which had been ruffled from sleeping in the chair, back into a top knot.

As I reached over and took his hand, smiling at him, his sour expression slowly mellowed out and he stared at me with worry in his eyes.

“And just what were you thinking? Going for a swim in your condition!” I sighed heavily, not wanting to listen to a lecture, but as he wrapped both arms around me in a hug, I smiled and hugged him back.

“I should apologize too… I did not train in the usual spot yesterday, so I only found you last night… I brought you lunch, but when I brought dinner and you hadn’t touched your food, I knew something was wrong.”

“Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong. You and Dr. Ziegler rescued me. You have been here for me this entire time where no one else has. You couldn’t help the fact that I foolishly wanted to go for a swim,” I joked, running a hand along his face.

“I owe you both an apology as well. Hanzo, I should have believed in you,” Genji admitted as he walked into the room holding a small gift box. He laid it gently on the table beside my bed. “I just… have never seen you like this before and I did not know how to react to it, honestly. Still, I am happy for both of you.”

Hanzo grunted in acknowledgement, and I could tell he was just as upset with Genji as he had been with McCree. Angela clapped her hands together and smiled.

“Alright, they have probably had enough excitement as it is for one day. Let’s all let them rest,” she declared, shooing everyone out of the room and following behind them. She dimmed the lights just as they all walked out. I sighed and leaned back against the hospital bed tiredly.

I opened the small gift box Genji had given me and sadness filled me as I gazed upon a shiny, orange and silver pin that was the Overwatch Logo.

 _I worked hard for this... so why do I feel like I've accomplished nothing at all?_ I wondered, closing the box, throwing it back on the table, and falling back into the med bay bed.

“Are you okay, (y/n)?” Hanzo asked, eyeing me warily. I nodded slowly, but then bowed my head, knowing I wasn’t being honest with myself or him.

“No, actually, I’m not. All the while I was incapacitated, I kept thinking about how no one really wanted me here except for you. I… don’t know if I really feel welcome here. Between McCree treating me like a spy and then no one believing us when we told them the truth, I just don’t know where I stand anymore,” I confessed.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I continued, “I know they all apologized and everything, but I’m really hurt. Maybe you understand things a bit better than I do since you’ve been here somewhat longer than I have, but I just—”

“Leave with me,” Hanzo interrupted. I gaped at him in shock.

“What?”

“Leave with me. I can teach you my ways and train you in the art of being an assassin. We can make the world a better place by ridding it of the monsters that inhabit it and make enough money to live happily while we do so. We won’t have anyone there to doubt us, betray us, or make us feel less than what we truly are.”

He stroked the side of my face and kissed my forehead as he finished, “We will have each other.” I stared into his eyes and saw hope and fear within them. He was asking me; begging me to come with him and confiding in me that he didn’t feel at home in this strange place.

_He's putting his heart out there and taking a huge risk. I'm not sure about Overwatch anymore, but he is the constant in all of this, and the one thing I do truly care about._

“We will have each other and _Luna,_ ” I corrected him, reminding him about my cat. He gaped at me for a moment before he looked off to the side, narrowing his eyes in realization.

“Does this mean—”

“Yes,” I affirmed, grasping both of his hands in mine, “I am with you, Hanzo.”

We told no one of our plan, and when I was well again, I thanked Dr. Ziegler and gave her a big hug.

“I will be out for several days, as I have some business to attend to. I will also be taking (y/n) with me,” Hanzo mentioned to Angela. She eyed him with suspicion for a moment before nodding.

“What sort of business…?” she inquired, adjusting her glasses.

“Well, if you must know, it has to do with the Shimada Clan. I have received intel that they are still smuggling arms and drugs. Overwatch did not wipe them out as they thought. (Y/n) and I are going to Japan to… change their ways. We may not be able to cut the head off of the snake, so to speak, but I am the eldest Shimada son and may be able to take over the Clan once more and this time change it into something better.”

Dr. Ziegler gaped at him in surprise, eyes lit up in admiration.

“A worthy mission. Perhaps Genji would like to joi—”

“No, this is for me to do. He has already gone in and wounded them. Now, I will go in for the kill.”

Dr. Ziegler sighed and nodded.

“Very well. I’m sure Lena can take you.” Hanzo bowed his head in thanks and we both exited the room.

“I don’t know how I feel about lying, Hanzo…” I admitted sheepishly.

“It was not a lie. What we are going to do is only the first step to us living peacefully. I really am going to transform the Shimada Clan into something better. We will still be assassins as we have always been, but we will not be thugs and drug kingpins.”

“Alright. I’m with you,” I promised him. I asked Brigitte to care for Luna in my absence and before I knew it, we were being flown to Japan by Lena.

“Coming in for a smooth landing! When did you want me to come back for you?” she asked.

“I will contact you,” Hanzo said evenly, holding up his phone.

“Copy that! Be safe, you two!” She gave us a thumbs-up as the aircraft landed and I waved farewell to her as we exited. Hanzo took a deep breath in and exhaled; a smile on his face as he looked around at the city before him.

“おかえり。 _Welcome home,”_ I murmured to him, sliding my hand into his. He chuckled softly and kissed my forehead before a frown slid across his face.

“まだまだ。 _Not yet._ There is still much work to be done before it is home once more,” he informed me.

“Well then,” I told him with a determined grin, “shall we get started?” He smiled and nodded at me; his eyebrows narrowed in determination. 

We holed up at a small motel where no one would think to look for us and got unpacked.

“So, what’s first?” I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

“First, we take Shimada Castle and the Oyabun, the head of the clan. Then, we go after the Elders. They will be on our side, or they will pay for their sins. Those are their only options,” he explained.

“But wait… if you were supposed to take over as Oyabun, who is the new one?” I squinted at him in confusion and he chuckled.

"My uncle, 島田、敏朗, _Toshiro Shimada._ ” Hanzo crossed his arms and stared at the wall thoughtfully for a moment before he continued. 

“My uncle is no fool, but he is weak. While my brother and I were training hard, he was wasting away. The Elders of the clan chose him because of his brilliant mind for business. That is all. He will be guarded by some of our greatest assassins though. Still, they will be no match for you or me. We will strike tonight.”

“I’m ready,” I told him, taking my sword and shuriken out of my hard-light storage device. I checked my weapons and made sure they were in good condition before equipping them, but Hanzo stopped me.

“We have one more order of business first.”


	8. Chapter 8

To my surprise, the order of business Hanzo informed me of was in a back alley on the other side of town. As we hung back in the shadows and rounded the corners of the dark alley, I was filled with a sense of dread and foreboding. My entire soul was screaming at me to run, but I stayed right behind Hanzo the whole way.

“We are almost there,” he murmured to me, probably sensing my unease. I nodded silently and watched as he came up to a thick, black, metal door. He knocked on it several times and said something very quietly in Japanese that I couldn’t quite make out.

The door swung open and a very large, muscular man stepped aside to reveal a very cute Japanese woman.

All at once, the feeling of foreboding I had disappeared as if a great weight was lifted off my body, allowing me to breathe once more. Despite that, I was still uneasy about the woman before me. My mouth dropped open at the sight of her. She had a rounded face with red painted lips, black eyeliner, and thick red and white eyeshadow in a Geisha sort of fashion. 

She was wearing a gorgeous red, black, and gold short yukata dress with black stockings and heels. Her hair was a chestnut brown and it was mid-length with a variety of red feather hair extensions flowing through it.

“Well well well,” she said in Japanese, “I never thought I would live to see the day when I’d have a Shimada on my doorstep, and not just any Shimada, but Hanzo? Have I won the lottery?”

“Neither, but you may as well have when I finish making my proposal to you,” Hanzo declared. He turned to me and introduced the two of us.

“(Y/n), this is 石川, 有華, _Ishikawa, Yuka_. Her family and mine have been rivals for a very long time. Before my father died, he was working on an alliance between our clans.”

“An alliance? But it never panned out?” I murmured in surprise. Yuka smiled sadly.

“Well, something happened, and the Shimada Clan was taken down... Though, I guess they weren’t completely demolished, after all,” Yuka explained. Though her voice sounded regretful, there was also a touch of relief in it.

“Anyways, Hanzo, as part of the alliance, I recall that you and I were supposed to be married,” she said flirtatiously, grinning at him.

“What I am proposing here will be far greater than a mere marriage,” he declared. “I am talking about a shared control of the Shimada Clan. I want to take it back and command it as Oyabun. I am going to turn it around though, so no more drug deals and moving illegal materials; just mercenary and assassin work.”

Yuka eyed me with suspicion as I took Hanzo’s hand nervously in mine, but her eyes flickered up to his and she declared, “So, when do we start?”

“Tonight. I will be leading an attack on Shimada castle and removing my Uncle from power. From there on, I will be going after each of the Elders with a singular message: ‘Join or Die.’”

Yuka raised an eyebrow with intrigue and smiled brightly before she placed her hands together in front of her mouth and made a sort of high-pitched, fluttering, bird call. Behind us appeared twelve people wearing dark, sleek, full body suits with masks that only revealed their cold, glittering eyes.

I now realised what sort of world I had stepped into with Hanzo. I thought the look in his eyes the night he had choked me had been predatory, but it had nothing on the murderous glare of the people behind us. They were ready to kill us at a moment’s notice.

“Tonight, we will be storming Shimada Castle. Hanzo will be leading us,” Yuka informed her entourage, grinning over at Hanzo. “We shall see how this plays out, Shimada. If all goes well, then perhaps we will be at your side for many years to come.”

Hanzo nodded his thanks and the group of masked assassins parted to let us through as we left.

“Tonight, at the peak of the moon, we will meet at the gates,” he said over his shoulder.

“I look forward to it,” Yuka said after us, waving coyly. Once we were back inside the safety of our motel room, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“I don’t trust her,” I stated.

“Only a fool would,” Hanzo agreed, checking his storm bow and arrows. “Her family and my own have been at odds for awhile, but with an alliance, things may run smoothly. Her family has always believed in helping people. Mostly the poor. Perhaps we can make the Shimada Clan into something better.”

“I hope you’re right, Hanzo,” I murmured nervously, staring out the window at the moon. We had at least an hour left until it was directly overhead.

“You’re worried.” Hanzo set his bow down and walked over to stand beside me, placing his hands around my shoulders to comfort me.

“Yeah, I am... I’ve never killed anyone before. I’m not sure if I could either...” I admitted. Hanzo pulled me into his arms and held me close, resting his head on top of mine. 

He breathed out forcefully and informed me, “You may have to kill people tonight. Think of it this way though... you are doing it to protect what is important to you.”

“And... what is important to you?” I ventured, turning around and gazing up at him.

“Time and you. I will not let an enemy cut my life short, as that would cut short my time with you. Likewise, I will not let them harm you.”

“You focus on your fights and I’ll focus on mine. If I need your help, I’ll call you, but... I can handle my own. I think I’ve proven that much,” I murmured softly, trailing a finger across his neck to remind him of the bruise I gave him before staring into his eyes seductively.

He shuddered ever so slightly, and his eyes hazed over with lust.

“じかんがもっとあったらいいのに。 _I wish I had more time,_ ” he said with a sly smile. “しかし、これには十分な時間があります。 _However, there is plenty of time for this._ ” He kissed me softly, stealing my breath away in the process. I kissed him back passionately, smiling at him as I pulled his body towards mine.

“待って。 _Hang on._ We can’t now, but later, after everything is taken care of, we will have fun together. 約束します。 _I promise._ ” He pulled away from me, letting his right hand linger against my left cheek as he finished preparing his weapons and covered his face with a mask.

I gathered a few more things I would need and hid some other weapons on my body just in case. When we had both finished preparing for the mission, Hanzo kissed me once more and we both hugged the shadows as we headed for Shimada Castle. Upon our arrival, the sound of a bird reached our ears and the twelve masked people from before stepped out of the shadows and surrounded us.

Yuka jumped down from the roof of a nearby building and stood next to me and Hanzo. She too was wearing a black bodysuit, but she had a red and black jeweled masquerade mask on versus the full-face masks that the others were wearing. She also sported a long, flowing ponytail with some sort of decorative pin in the top of it that had a golden phoenix on it.

“It looks like the coast is pretty clear. From what I’ve seen, security is low. They have no idea what’s about to happen,” she informed us in Japanese.

“Alright then,” Hanzo began, “we shall strike now. Move quickly without raising the alarm. We stick to the shadows and incapacitate only. The guards and other people under the employ of my Uncle may work for us if they are shown mercy.”

Yuka nodded and as soon as Hanzo gave the command, she put her fingers to her lips and let out a sharp, high-pitched bird call that made all of the masked people leap up and scale the gates expertly. Hanzo and I followed soon after. The masked warriors were quick and efficient, choking out any of the Human guards they came across and shutting down any Omnics.

Hanzo and I pressed forward, making our way to the main room, where an older man with a long, salt and pepper beard was sitting quietly. He was meditating with his eyes closed and his hands in an ovular shape just above his waist.

“Something isn’t right here,” I whispered to Hanzo. He tensed, but drew his bow quickly, aiming an arrow at the man’s heart. He loosed it, but one of the masked figures dropped down out of the rafters and knocked it out of the way skillfully with a katana.

Hanzo let out a low growl.

“久しぶりだね、半蔵。 _It’s been a while, Hanzo,”_ the man called out, looking over at us with a knowing grin. Suddenly, the other eleven masked warriors appeared and surrounded us. Hanzo and I came together back-to-back, ready for a fight.

“Yuka, why would you do this?!” Hanzo demanded as she walked into the room nonchalantly. She laughed.

“やれやれ。。。 _My goodness..._ You really have been out of the loop, haven’t you? My family would have fallen to ruin if not for your Uncle. Now, we serve as part of the Shimada Clan. We work alongside them and come when called, but still have full autonomy to do as we please,” she explained.

She circled the two of us, looking us up and down before staring at Hanzo and grinning devilishly.

“You and I were supposed to be married; don’t you recall? If you agree to marry me once more, perhaps I won’t have to kill you here and now; just your little... _pet,_ ” she spat staring at me with beady eyes.

“Ha! What a joke! You are unworthy,” Hanzo snarled, swinging his bow wildly at her before turning his head towards me. “Now!”

The two of us sprang into action, attacking whoever came nearest to us. I drew my katana and began to block and slice the foes before me. I had taken out three people when Yuka slid in front of me and hit me hard in the side of the neck somewhere.

My vision blurred for a moment and when it cleared, I saw her rushing me at full speed, wielding a Naginata. I raised my katana to block the blade, but I was still knocked backward by the force of it. I skidded against the floor, rolling backwards and jumping up as I prepared to defend myself.

 _I’ve never fought against this sort of weapon before. I need to play this smart..._ I watched her movements as she circled me and kept centred. She lunged at me a few times, testing the waters, but I hit the Naginata out of the way and looked for an opening each time.

“Hanzo Shimada is _mine._ I _will_ have him,” she growled, striking at me once more with another downward swing.

This time, instead of moving backwards, I moved forward and to the right, just out of range of the large blade, before tilting my katana up over the left side of my head. Her eyes widened as she realised what had happened; she had cut the blade of her weapon off by haphazardly slamming it down against my own.

I took that opportunity to move across her and slice her right arm so she would be unable to fight. She jumped backwards, letting out a low growl, as she clutched her fresh wound. Then, she let it go. Blood dripped down her black body suit, glowing red in the lighting of the room and splashing against the tatami floor.

She glared at me, yanked the mask off her face, and threw it aside before pulling out a dagger with her left hand. She threw it at me hard and I was just barely able to dodge it. Then, she raised the same hand that threw it and flipped it around so that the back of her hand was facing me. I stared at her in confusion until a sharp pain tore through my left cheek.

I watched in awe as the dagger whizzed past my face and flew back into her grasp. I put a hand against my face in shock, wincing at the pain and the feeling of the warm blood dripping down towards my mouth. Then, I steeled myself, putting both hands back on my sword and readying myself for her next attacks.

As she threw her dagger and withdrew it several times, I became aware that the only things I could do were deflect and dodge.

 _My katana isn’t fast enough to do anything to her... unless..._ I looked around me. Hanzo had taken care of most of the masked assassins, and there were only two left. His uncle, looking around fearfully, appeared to be ready to flee.

I grinned and began to taunt the hot-headed Yuka, circling her and backing up.

“With fighting like that, you don’t deserve Hanzo! He’s from a noble family. You’re just a street rat with dirty tricks!” I goaded her.

“黙れ！ _Shut the fuck up!”_ she snarled, increasing the speed and intensity of her attacks. Finally, I lined myself up with Hanzo’s Uncle and threw one final insult her way.

“Speaking of dirty tricks... I wonder just how many people you must have had to fuck to get your position of power... One? Two? Maybe the entire Shimada Clan? Oh, apart from Hanzo, of course.”

A loud snarl erupted from her and she hurled her dagger at me as hard as was Humanely possible. I almost didn’t dodge it that time, and felt it tear a small bit of the suit I was wearing along my torso as it flew past me and dug straight into the chest of Hanzo’s uncle. The older man stumbled for a moment and struggled to breathe before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground.

Yuka was in shock, and I took that opportunity to rush in and cut her across her body diagonally. She fell to the ground limply, her eyes still wide with shock though she continued to breathe. Hanzo finished off the remaining masked assassins before he walked slowly over to the two of us. He shot me a proud look and smiled as he saw his fallen Uncle and the downed Yuka. He leaned over Yuka and she reached up to him with yearning in her eyes.

“半蔵、どうして私が欲しくない？ _Hanzo, why don’t you want me?”_ she asked painfully, clutching her chest. He smiled at her for a moment with what I thought was sympathy before shaking his head.

“Long ago, I may have wanted you, but now... you have become something that your ancestors would be ashamed of. Your jealousy and selfishness has led you and your clan to ruin,” he spat.

“What will become of me, then?” she demanded, groaning slightly.

“I will allow you to live; to lick your wounds like the beast you are, but mark my words well: if you ever come after me or my family again, I will destroy you and your clan in such a way that there will be no proof that any of you ever existed at all.”

I gaped at Hanzo. Everything about him was impressive; the commanding way he spoke, the dangerous look in his eyes, and the frightening, powerful presence he maintained. The most impressive thing, however, was the fact that he had fought the masked assassins without the use of his bow. In that moment though, barring any other emotion I was feeling, I was happy because he was mine.

 _He... he called me his family!_ I thought joyously.

As he took his eyes off of Yuka, he wiped some blood off of his face that wasn’t his and retrieved his bow from against the nearby wall. Suddenly, Yuka raised her hand and summoned the dagger out of the chest of the man she had accidentally killed.

She tilted her head over to glare at me.

“お前を殺してやる！ _I’ll kill you!”_ she screeched weakly, raising her arm to throw the knife. Before she could, an arrow found its way through her skull, poking out between her eyes, and she fell limply against the ground.

“Is it... over?” I asked, panting heavily.

“Not yet,” Hanzo admitted, dragging three of the masked assassins over to the middle of the room and tying them up. As they woke up, they were greeted by the sight of Hanzo sitting in a chair, staring down at them. He brandished the throwing dagger that Yuka had been using, admiring its craftsmanship.

“Ah, good,” he called out, “you’re awake.” He walked over to them and hovered over them threateningly. “Do you know who I am? I mean... who I really am. Not just what Yuka has told you of me.”

When none of them answered, he explained, “I am Hanzo Shimada, the true heir of the Shimada Clan, and your lives are in my hands. Yuka is dead. You have a choice now. If you do one simple task for me, I will let you live. You will have your lives back and be able to go on your merry way. I will not force you to remain in service to me. However, if you choose to defy me, I will kill you.”

One of the masked individuals let out a low growl and declared, “I will never work for you, Shimada scum!”

“Then you have chosen death,” Hanzo said evenly, slicing him across the throat. The other two assassins watched as the life drained from their comrade’s eyes and the blood poured from his neck, pooling beneath him.

My breath caught in my throat at Hanzo’s actions and I began to shake, but I knew that I needed to be strong in order for him to accomplish his mission. If I showed any sort of weakness, the masked assassins could perceive Hanzo as weak. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, but despite that, my thoughts still raced.

_He just... killed someone. Two people! Yuka was killed when she tried to attack me, but this guy was killed for going against what Hanzo wanted!_

“I wish to live. I will do as you say,” one of the two masked people, a woman spoke up. Hanzo removed her mask and nodded in acknowledgement. She had a small, rounded face, reddish brown hair, and green eyes.

He turned to the other masked individual and demanded, “And your answer?”

“I wish to live as well, but I want to know what it is you would have me do,” he answered.

“You must have a great deal of courage to ask me this. Good. It is very simple. I will write a message, ‘Join or Die,’ on a paper. You will take that message to the other houses of the Shimada Clan and deliver it in a way that will be very... convincing. You may do so however you see fit, whether that entails leaving it in the chest of one of the prominent members, or simply throwing it in a threatening manner so they will see it and know that I have returned.”

“Very well, I will do this for you,” the masked man answered. Hanzo pulled the mask off his face to reveal a young Japanese man with dark hair and a scar across his left eye.   
In one swift motion, Hanzo cut the ropes that bound the two of them and sat down to write the messages. He divided the messages equally between the two assassins and handed them over.

“When you are finished, you do not have to report back to me. I will know whether or not the job gets done properly. However, there will be consequences should it not get done... Now go,” Hanzo commanded them, waving the dagger in his hand at them.

They pulled the masks back over their faces and bounded off, blending in with the shadows once more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! ^_^ Hope you all enjoy!

As soon as the masked assassins were gone, I dropped my façade altogether and leaned up against a nearby pillar, panting heavily in shock.

“Are you alright?” Hanzo asked me, eyeing the slash across my face. I shook my head.

“Hanzo... a lot just happened for me. I saw you go...” I paused as I thought of the right words to describe it. “Full-Metal Oyabun! I mean you killed Yuka and then just cut that person’s throat and I-I—”

“You think less of me...” he finished, staring down at the floor with an unidentifiable expression on his face.

“What? No! Actually... I thought it was pretty incredible that you’re doing all of this for us, but it was also scary to see you like that. And plus, I... I killed your uncle. I mean Yuka did it, but I knew she would, and I made it happen...”

I turned away from him, feeling more and more guilty at my actions. He sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around me.

“Sometimes, in order to get what you want, you must be prepared to sacrifice everything. Today, we sacrificed a lot. It is only the first step, but we will make strides. Already, we have taken the castle. I need to address the guards outside, as well as the ones at the temple, but other than that, we have won this night,” he murmured softly into my ear, kissing my uninjured cheek.

I nodded slowly and looked around me at the blood and carnage. I had cut down several of the masked assassins myself, and although I felt bad about it, I knew that they would have killed Hanzo if I hadn’t stopped them.

“I will be right back. I’m going to speak with the guards and have them clean up this mess,” Hanzo told me, smiling softly at me before walking away. I waved and smiled sadly back at him before walking the halls of Shimada Castle, exploring the rooms.

In what appeared to be the Master Bedroom, I found a large, Western-style bed that I surmised to have belonged to Hanzo’s Uncle. I stripped the sheets, found clean ones, and made the bed.

“It’s not his anymore. It’s ours,” I rationalized, flattening the blanket over the top of it. I could hear Hanzo’s voice carrying from downstairs, but I drowned out what he was saying, not wanting anything more to do with the business for today.

 _This just happened today... but what about the days to come? What will life be like with him?_ I stared in the direction of his voice for a moment then turned back to the bed, picking up a pillow and holding it against my chest.

_It won't always be this violent, right? Hanzo said he's changing the Shimada clan for the better. Isn't he?_

As I stared at the pillow in my hands, deep in thought, two strong arms suddenly grabbed me from behind. I instinctually elbowed my assailant in the gut and whirled around, ready to strike. Hanzo laughed loudly and backed up, raising his hands in mock forfeit.

I threw the pillow at him.

“You scared the hell out of me!” I growled, frowning at him before taking a breath and turning my frown into a playful scowl. “So, how did it go downstairs?”

“Everything went well,” he said, walking over to stand in front of me. He held my hands in his and smiled. “The guards work for us now.”

“Hmm... who would’ve thought that you would come back here, of all places, after everything and take it over?”

“Certainly not me,” he said with a low laugh. 

I stared at him curiously now, searching his eyes for an answer as I inquired, “Hanzo... you brought me with you to help you, but... what are we? I mean, what am I to you?”

He smiled, leaned in, and kissed me softly, pulling my body towards him. 

When he broke away from the kiss, he admitted, “I am not sure what we are, but I am certain of one thing...” I stared at him expectantly and he let out a sympathetic hiss at the slice along the side of my cheek. “I care about you, and seeing you hurt, even just with a cut like this...”

He walked into the bathroom and found some medical supplies, then he motioned to the bed and had me sit down. Using a wet cloth, he dabbed the dried blood off my cheek and added a disinfectant before placing a bandage over it.

“そこ。 _There,_ ” he said softly, smiling at me. He ran his fingers into my hair and pulled me in for a deep kiss before leaning back. “I believe I have told you something similar to this, but... much of my life is orderly and predictable. You are the only thing in it that is not.”

“Is that... a good thing?” I ventured, biting my bottom lip and drawing closer to him. My lips parted ever so slightly just inches away from his. He moved to kiss me but stopped just before his lips met mine.

“I believe that it is... I am not sure what we are, you and I, but... I would not be opposed to... staying the course and figuring that out as we go along.”

My eyes smiled into his before fluttering longingly down to his lips.

“Me neither,” I said with a sly grin, leaning in closer and letting him make the next move. He chuckled and kissed me with an almost beastly passion as he pulled me into him and fell down on the bed with me.

Hanzo’s hands wrapped around my body and he pressed himself against me, grinding his crotch against mine and leaning fully into me.

I chuckled as his right hand began to snake its way up my bodysuit from my hips, across my ribs, over my stomach, up my chest, and finally reached over to grab my—

_Knock, knock, knock._

I moaned in annoyance and Hanzo growled under his breath.

“I will only be a minute,” he promised, biting me on the lower part of my neck teasingly before answering the door.

“Don’t kill anyone,” I joked. He scoffed and slid open the fusama to find a guard standing frantically outside. “Speak quickly.”

“Th-there’s a guy here,” the guard stammered, “a-and he’s one scary bastard, boss. He’s been attacking all of us with a sword. He’s some sorta Omnic!”

Hanzo’s eyes widened.

“What does this... Omnic look like?” he demanded. As soon as the guard gave a detailed description of him, I shot up from the bed and Hanzo gave me a worried look before pushing past the guard and rushing downstairs to find Genji cutting through various guards that accosted him.

“やめろ！ _Stop!”_ Hanzo commanded in a loud bellow, causing all eyes to focus on him.

“Brother,” Genji breathed, keeping his eyes trained on the guards that surrounded him, “I was worried about you! I thought that you had been hurt but now that I see you giving commands, I have to wonder what it is you are doing here...”

Genji straightened up, but I noticed the grip on his sword tightened.

“Come with me, Genji, and I will explain everything,” Hanzo said.

“いや。私はここに残ります。しかし、説明してください。 _Nah. I’ll stay right here. But please, explain yourself,”_ Genji demanded evenly. I realised that he wasn’t letting his guard down in the slightest. It was then that I remembered what Genji had told me back when we ate together on the rooftop of Watchpoint Gibraltar.

_“The Clan called for my head. Hanzo, not seeing any other choice, approached me, fought me, and killed me in our own home.”_

I gaped as I realised he was probably reliving that traumatic event. Hanzo went to say something else, but I quickly stopped him, placing a hand on his chest and walking around to stand in front of him.

“Let me speak to him. I think he needs time to process all of this. I can explain things to him,” I murmured to Hanzo, staring at him seriously. He sighed heavily but nodded and kissed me on the forehead before returning to our room.

The guards were still gathered around Genji and I clapped my hands once loudly as I descended the stairs.

“Genji is a Shimada son, and he will always be welcome here. Attend to your duties and leave him alone. If there were any injured, please attend to them,” I commanded. As soon as they had dispersed, I walked up to Genji and went to put a hand on his shoulder.

He flinched backwards and continued to grip his sword tightly. I frowned and eyed him sadly.

“Genji, you know I would never hurt you. Or at least... I hope you know that...” I told him gently. “I know this isn’t a happy place for you, but please... try to remember who your friends are.”

Genji remained in place for a moment more before his grip on his sword faltered and he bowed his head.

“すまない。 _Sorry..._ ” he muttered guiltily as he slowly sheathed his sword. I could see his hands trembling and his suit was flashing between green and red. I quickly took one of his hands in mine.

“散歩しませんか？ _Shall we take a walk?”_

“うん。 _Sure,_ ” he answered, allowing me to lead him out of the castle and onto the stone path.

The moon was still shining brightly, though it was now much lower in the sky than before. We walked around the castle for awhile and we were about to enter a temple when Genji steered us the other way, his suit shining a bright red as we walked away from it.

 _That must have been where he was killed by Hanzo..._ I realised, glancing back at it briefly. We came to a small area that had a small set of stairs leading to a bell tower, and Genji sat down on the steps, taking several breaths to calm himself.

“I’m so sorry, Genji. I know how difficult this must be for you.” He shook his head, took off his helmet, and sighed forcefully.

“I thought I was alright to come back here again. I did before, but that was when I had come trying to recruit Hanzo for Overwatch... Every year he would fight the guards at Shimada Castle to pay tribute to me, his dead brother. At least, he did until I confronted him and invited him to Overwatch. But... when I saw him commanding the guards just now... his voice... sounded just like it was back when he...”

As Genji trailed off, his eyes grew wide with fear and tears began to form in them. His suit glowed a bright crimson. I quickly sat next to him and pulled him into a hug, stroking his hair to comfort him.

“He is not going to hurt you, Genji. Hanzo... Hanzo loves you. He may not show it, but you mean the world to him,” I promised him, pulling out of the hug and smiling at him. He tilted his head at me in disbelief.

“Then what is he doing here? Angela told me that Hanzo was planning to take down the Shimada Clan or convert it into something else.”

“She was somewhat mistaken about the ‘taking down’ part, but not about the fact that we wish to change the Shimada Clan.”

 _“’We’?”_ Genji demanded, fixing me with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Yes,” I said, hanging my head sadly. “I spoke with Hanzo back in the medical bay and confessed to him that I didn’t really feel welcome at Overwatch anymore... He told me he felt the same way and admitted to having a plan that ensured we would both feel at home.”

I lay back and stared up at the ceiling of the bell tower.

“He said he would train me to be an assassin. Together, we are planning to take down the Shimada Elders and take control of the clan. We’re shutting down the drug trades and the illegal sales and organizing the Shimada Clan into an elite assassin squad or mercenary group... Something that will band together and eliminate major threats in the world. It will be a force for good.”

"Funny," Genji scoffed, refusing to look at me, "that sounds a lot like Talon."

I gaped at him in shock and shook my head.

"I know how it looks, but the people we kill; the ones we take out are going to be terrible people. When the world needs help, we're going to be there for it!"

“Killing is still killing,” Genji objected, “it doesn’t matter who does the killing; it is still wrong. I used to be part of Blackwatch, an elite taskforce of highly trained individuals. In the end, we were all just glorified assassins. Back then, I thirsted for blood, but now I know it was wrong.”

“Well... then maybe Hanzo and I can make the Shimada Clan into something completely different like... like... Vigilante heroes!” I suggested, throwing my arms up. Genji laughed and shook his head.

“Hanzo would never hear of such a thing! To go from Assassins to... to... Ninja Vigilantes is crazy,” Genji declared, chortling a bit more before staring upwards sadly.

He appeared to be thinking about something very sad, and I could tell he was taking another trip into the past that was full of regret. He suddenly snapped out of it and focused his sorrowful gaze on me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“(Y/n)... you are so very optimistic and hopeful. Almost too much so. I believe that Hanzo truly cares for you... However, do not be surprised if his pride ends up getting in the way of your relationship. He is Oyabun now.”

“どういう意味ですか？ _What do you mean?”_ I demanded, sitting back up and squinting at him. He ignored my question and put his mask back on.

“You and Hanzo may do whatever you wish, but Overwatch will remain separate from it. However, if you do anything that threatens the world, Overwatch will be there to stop you. I am sorry that neither of you feel at home with us, but you will always be welcome,” he promised. “I will bring all of your belongings to the castle tomorrow in a hard-light storage device, and make sure that Luna makes it to you safely.”

As he walked away, exiting through the main gates, I clutched my hand against my chest. A feeling of sadness and regret tore through me and I slowly trudged back to the bedroom where Hanzo lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling deep in thought.


End file.
